Underestimation
by Ailetoile
Summary: There's more to Naruto than meets the eye... Or the ears. Slight SasuNaru pairing. COMPLETE
1. A Beginning

A/N: All right, this is my first fanfic, and I am a little bit nervous so please keep that in mind as you read and be kind in your comments! There will probably be some R rated material in here somewhere, with a SasuNaru pairing... Yeah, call me unoriginal, eheh, but the two of them really intrigue me.  
  
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.  
  
...........  
  
What a day! Naruto's ninja registration was complete, his confidence in himself renewed. He had graduated from the ninja academy through sheer determination and force of will (with a little bit of mischief added in for good measure), but the fact was, he had GRADUATED! Iruka-sensei had acknowledged him and that... That meant more to him than anything else.  
  
Naruto knew the truth now. He knew who and what he was. He knew... Why everyone hated him. He knew and understood, yet he could not reveal his knowledge to the rest of the village. As long as he remained himself, the same unpredictable prankster, he would raise no suspicions. If he showed any signs of intelligence, if he ever let the others know that HE knew of the demon fox inside of him... Well, it would very likely be the end of him. The adults knew of and feared the demon within him. They saw him as the demon, not as Naruto, and would not hesitate to kill him if they began to suspect that there was more to this boy than the carefree prankster that was the annoyance of the village, but his peers... They knew only that their elders hated Naruto. As long as the reason behind their hatred remained a secret, Naruto still stood a chance at a normal life. As normal as his life could ever be.  
  
Nothing, not even this new insight into his past, could diminish this day for him. Today would mark a new chapter in his life, a new beginning. Today, he was officially a ninja. The leaf forehead protector which he had long coveted now rested snugly across his forehead as if it had always been there. He had finally taken the first major step towards his dream of becoming hokage, and life had never been brighter.  
  
No one acknowledged his entrance into the classroom, but that was typical. Few ever noticed Naruto at all, and only then to yell at him for his antics or laugh at his failures. Only after he slid into his accustomed seat did anyone bother to greet him.  
  
"Orientation is only for those who passed," a familiar male voice intoned.  
  
Caught off guard, Naruto jumped, falling instantly into his accustomed idiot act. Grabbing his new leaf forehead protector and shoving it higher on his forehead, Naruto plastered a huge grin on his face. "See my protector? I'm a ninja starting today, too!"  
  
Rolling his eyes, the other boy promptly turned and walked away as Naruto slumped forward in his seat. He knew now why he was so hated, but knowledge did not always ease the pain of loneliness. Just once, he would like to have someone see him for who he really was.  
  
A sudden commotion at the door turned most heads in the room. Naruto looked with everyone else, his face lighting up as he recognized the cause of the noise: Sakura-chan, his unrequited love, stood shoulder to shoulder with Ino. Both were panting, scanning the room. As Sakura-chan saw Naruto, her eyes widened and she smiled, leaving Ino's side to run towards him.  
  
Naruto could hardly believe his luck. Sakura-chan hated him and did little but tell him how annoying she found him. Eagerly, he started out of his chair to greet her-  
  
-and was immediately shoved out of the way. "Sasuke-kun, can I sit next to you?" the pink haired girl squealed, clasping her hands together.  
  
Narrowing his eyes, Naruto squinted at the object of his love's affection. Unconcerned, Sasuke stared straight ahead, his mouth resting lightly on folded hands. Quiet and mysterious, Uchiha Sasuke was more than this year's number one rookie; all of the girls loved him. His black hair and ivory skin, the black eyes which saw everything. His athleticism. His genius.  
  
Naruto hated him. He was certain that the feeling was mutual.  
  
Sasuke did not even acknowledge Sakura's presence. With a haughty air, he continued to stare ahead, ignoring the bickering girls to his right.  
  
Naruto could not stand it any longer. What was so special about Sasuke anyway? He was a jerk who always treated people badly. Especially Sakura- chan.  
  
Before he knew what he was doing, Naruto found himself crouching on the table in front of Sasuke, his face dangerously close to the other boy's. Ignoring the outraged cries of the clustered girls, he pushed his face even closer to Sasuke's. A spark of pure hatred hung between them although Sasuke's face remained unchanged.  
  
Naruto wasn't sure just what he was looking for. Perhaps he just wanted to break through the boy's calm shell, to expose a different Sasuke, one who was displayed emotions. To find the boy that hid behind the icy exterior.  
  
Several moments passed as they stared.  
  
"Naruto, what do you think you are doing?" Sakura screeched, her voice rising above the unhappy murmur of the females surrounding her. Gritting his teeth, Naruto tried to think of an acceptable answer.  
  
What no one, not even Iruka-sensei realized was that Naruto's life was one grand act, a game of hiding his true self. Everyone knew him as the prankster, the troublemaker. The loudmouthed, annoying orphan. The village idiot. He had made an art of standing out as stupidly as possible. He was able to slide into his idiotic act at the drop of a hat. These unflattering images were impressions that Naruto was careful to cultivate, for it gave him a constant advantage over the rest of his peers. Because he was ignored and underestimated by everyone, he was free to study their strengths and weaknesses - yet they did not know his.  
  
The silence stretched uncomfortably as even Naruto could not find a convincing answer to Sakura's demand until -  
  
-with a gasp of surprise, Naruto felt himself falling forward. His momentum thrust him right into Sasuke and for a surprised moment, their lips touched.  
  
Dead silence filled the room, broken only by the embarrassed apologies of the boy who had bumped Naruto. Sasuke and Naruto stared at each other, wide eyed, for a shocked moment before simultaneously turning away from each other, gagging and frantically wiping their mouths.  
  
As if the reaction of the two boys was a signal, the rest of the class was abruptly released from their stunned paralysis. Most of the males began to laugh, but the girls... The girls advanced on Naruto with murderous intent.  
  
Several minutes later, the class had settled down marginally. Sakura sat, smirking, between Sasuke and a bruised and bleeding Naruto.  
  
As Iruka-sensei discussed the graduates' next steps towards becoming true ninjas, Naruto let his mind wander. Teams of three, huh? He hoped that he would be teamed up with Sakura-chan. As for his other teammate.. Well, anyone but Sasuke would be fine with him. He could take the hatred from the adults and from the children, but Sasuke's attitude got under his skin every time.  
  
He could not suppress his triumphant cry when Iruka-sensei announced that Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura would be on the same team. Seconds later, however... Uchiha Sasuke. With a groan, Naruto's head fell to his chest as he listened to Sakura squeal beside him. 


	2. A Cup of Ramen

A/N: Wow, I write a lot. Guess that this is more fun to do than homework! Or something... Anyway, I have decided to drop the rating from R to PG-13 so that more people can find the story. If something happens and I feel that the R rating is more appropriate I will change it back. Again, comments are welcome. If I get some encouraging ones I may just keep writing this! Wouldn't that be scary... Actually, I'm sure I'll continue anyway, but the comments might make it come faster.  
  
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.  
  
Iceheart19: Thanks for the kind review!  
  
........  
  
That night was a long one for Naruto as he analyzed the day over his traditional dinner of instant ramen. Dobe. It was a nickname he had earned through a surprising amount of hard work and effort, and he knew that, yet... It still stung to hear the words coming from Sasuke's mouth! Sasuke, who recognized nobody, had recognized him as a failure when, unknown to anyone, Naruto could have surpassed them all any time he chose.  
  
Deliberately, he once again reconciled himself to his situation. He kept up this idiotic façade for a reason, and although it was often difficult, it was necessary. It had become an assumption in the Hidden Leaf Village that if there was quiet, then Naruto was elsewhere - an assumption that Naruto often used to his benefit as an effective cover to watch anyone he chose. In order to one day fulfill his dream of becoming hokage, he would have to prove himself to the entire village. His act kept those around him from taking him seriously, a distinct advantage that he would use to its fullest when the time came. More than a few eyebrows would be raised at the appropriate time in the future when the real Naruto began to shine. In the meantime, however, the emotional drain was taking its toll. It was difficult to pretend to be something he was not day in and day out. The grins he plastered on in the presence of others became more strained every day.  
  
Even worse, he had been slipping recently. Fortunately, the only one who had witnessed this lapse in his disguise was Iruka-sensei, and he would never recognize Naruto's brilliance for what it was unless it was shoved in his face. Naruto adored Iruka-sensei and knew that the man was fond of him as well, but... Mastering the Kage Bunshin No Jutsu in a matter of hours... That jutsu was a forbidden technique. A typical student should never have been able to master such a technique in such a small amount of time, particularly one at Naruto's supposed achievement level.  
  
After the teams had been assigned, he had spent his afternoon being as Naruto-ish as possible. First, his bumbling attack on Sasuke so that he could hit on Sakura and later the drabble about ramen he had sprouted at their orientation with Kakashi-sensei. He would be in closer proximity with his new team than he had ever been with even one other person in his entire life; he knew that he needed to establish his character even more firmly in their minds in these first few days. Both of his new teammates were intelligent, watchful, and just waiting for a chance to make him miserable. His new sensei was almost as skilled at putting up a nonchalant façade as Naruto had become, and this worried the boy. If Naruto could see through Kakashi-sensei, then it was very likely that Kakashi-sensei could see through him. Another slip in the near future could be devastating for his disguise. But oh, the look on their faces if they ever learned that the Naruto they knew, the dumb, bumbling idiot was nothing more than a mask... Especially Sakura's.  
  
Sakura-chan... In truth, he was not quite sure how he felt about her. In order to maintain his act as easily as possible, he had been sure to weave many of his real personality traits into his disguise. He made them dumber and louder, of course, but it was inevitable that much of the real Naruto would surface under the guise of the idiot the rest of the world knew. Suspicion was avoided by embracing those parts of himself that he knew he could not always suppress and exaggerating them to the annoyance of all. His love for ramen, his need to be acknowledged, his sheer perseverance and strength of will... All of these qualities were a part of the carefully hidden Naruto as well. With a goal in mind, even the intelligent and logical part of him would never give up.  
  
It was for this reason that he remained unsure about his feelings for Sakura-chan. He did not love her the way he allowed others to think he did, Naruto did know that. Such a love would be foolish since it would never be returned or accepted by Sakura as long as she fawned over Sasuke. She felt that Naruto was annoying, yet when she forgot that he was Naruto she treated him better than most of her peers. She could not understand his situation, and even if he were to reveal his full intelligence and his real personality to her, he knew that she would be reluctant to accept him. No, he did not love Sakura-chan, but he did... He did care for her. Despite her flaws, she had been nicer to him than most, and they were teammates now. He would protect her with his life if he had to.  
  
Unwillingly, he finally dragged his thoughts back to the scene he had accidentally caused at the orientation. This, too, needed to be dissected.  
  
It was alarming how quickly and efficiently Sasuke had managed to get under his skin. Between their unwitting kiss and the way Sasuke's disapproval rankled, Naruto was at a loss. Again, they were teammates..... But how far did that bond truly go with them?  
  
Naruto knew of Sasuke's past; as he had done with all of the members of the class he had graduated with, Naruto had gone out of his way to learn as much as possible about Sasuke. Surprisingly, of all the members of their class, Sasuke resembled Naruto the most. In truth, he felt... No, he wouldn't call it pity. He felt a large amount of compassion for the other boy. The burning hatred that had prompted Naruto to confront the other boy in front of the rest of their peers had finally subsided enough to allow logical thought, and he took advantage of that now.  
  
Life had been as cruel to Sasuke as it had been to Naruto. Neither had had parents to acknowledge them, and in a society where the acknowledgement of peers and adults meant everything... Well, they both led difficult and empty lives in comparison to the rest of their classmates. Someone like Sakura could never understand what either boy had gone through, and that similarity should have been enough to create some sort of bond or friendship between the two boys. Unfortunately, though, each had developed their own way of coping with their losses. Whereas Naruto hid behind his loud mouth and forced cheerfulness, Sasuke just... Clammed up. Naruto intentionally pushed people away by irritating them while Sasuke formed a shell around himself that nothing could break through. His defenses were as effective as Naruto's, but more straightforward; Sasuke was able to excel in everything he did, and indeed, he was expected to. While Naruto was busy maintaining his mask of stupidity, Sasuke was able to openly display his intelligence, yet by keeping his emotions under lock and key the boy kept people away as effectively as Naruto.  
  
And yet... And yet, Naruto understood that Sasuke's forced coldness must be as tiring and as difficult to maintain as his own cover.  
  
As he ate, he was aware of the silhouette watching him from the growing shadows outside his window. As usual, he ignored the intrusion; his only response was to plaster his usual stupid grin across his face as he slurped his ramen loudly. As the lurker slunk away, Naruto let his smile fade slowly. Indeed, he wasn't the only person wearing a disguise.  
  
His graduation was not the only change in his life. This new team might be the undoing of his careful disguise. With such close contact with others, it would be difficult. He would have to be on guard all of the time now, and that could be troublesome, but...  
  
Perhaps it was time for a change. 


	3. Baby Steps

A/N: Oh my goodness, thank you all so much for the reviews! I was debating about continuing this story, but now I definitely will! I would also just like to share that I am listening to music from Naruto while writing this. Geez I am obsessed and it's wonderful! I am sorry there wasn't more written today, but I had a huge homework assignment hanging over my head... Boo to homework. Just so you know, since so many people reviewed (and since I'm a dork and replied to them all), reviews are now at the END of the sections. That way, mean people who don't leave me reviews don't have to scroll through all my replies *grin*  
  
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.  
  
............  
  
Five in the morning came much, much too soon. As a ninja, Naruto knew that he would have to become accustomed to odd hours and little sleep, but five o'clock still seemed absurdly early to be trudging onto the training grounds. It seemed even earlier when his sensei remained conspicuously absent, even after both of Naruto's teammates had arrived.  
  
Feigning grumpy sleepiness of the sort that would best fit the expectations of his two teammates, Naruto yawned obnoxiously and stretched his arms over his head. "Ohayou," he mumbled to his teammates. Sakura, yawning and rubbing her eyes, groggily returned the greeting while Sasuke ignored them both. By an unspoken agreement, the trio formed a circle with their backs, allowing one of them to watch in each direction. Thoughtfully, Naruto positioned himself so that he could watch both of his teammates out of the corners of his eyes before slumping on the ground to wait for Kakashi- sensei.  
  
Soon, Sakura collapsed next to her teammate, and was asleep sitting up within moments. Although Naruto would have liked to follow Sakura's example, he remained awake, eyes closed to mere slits, watching Sasuke.  
  
The silence stretched as the sky slowly pinked with sunrise before melting into a brilliant blue. To Naruto's left, Sakura twitched in her sleep, resting her head more comfortably on her knees. Sasuke had not so much as flinched since his arrival. Not a word had been exchanged between the two boys. Naruto wondered whether the other boy assumed he was asleep. He hoped that was the case; the Naruto that everyone else knew would not be this quiet for this long, but he truly WAS tired. Displaying the hyperactive boy for Sasuke's benefit alone seemed like too much if he could pretend to be asleep instead...  
  
As though on cue, Sasuke turned to regard him solemnly, his face blank as usual. "I know you're awake, dobe."  
  
Mindful of his sleeping teammate, Naruto opted to open his eyes and turn slightly to scowl at Sasuke rather than give one of his patented loudmouthed responses. "So?"  
  
"It's not like you to be this quiet," Sasuke observed quietly, narrowing his eyes a bit at Naruto.  
  
So his teammate had noticed. Naruto really was going to have to be on his guard all the time or else risk revealing his hidden nature. The boy felt his stomach tighten and stayed silent for a moment or two, wondering how he was going to undo the damage he had already caused. The easy answer still seemed like the best: "I was sleeping."  
  
"No you weren't," the other boy shot back immediately.  
  
"Leave me alone, Sasuke. I was tired," Naruto whined, raking his mind for something more plausible. Shit. He had caused even more damage with his lie. Mentally, he could have slapped himself. Of course Sasuke would know if he went to sleep. Just as he could tell that Sakura-chan was sleeping by the pattern of her breathing, so could Sasuke tell that his teammate was awake by HIS pattern of breathing. He forced himself to meet the other boy's eye, knowing that he would be professing his guilt if he broke eye contact. How much did Sasuke know? Once again, he felt his blood beginning to boil. Although he logically knew that he really had no reason to be angry with the other boy, it was just so... Easy! to let Sasuke get under his skin.  
  
He had to calm down. When he was angry, he made mistakes. Everyone slipped when they were angry.  
  
"Kitsune." Sasuke spoke the word quietly; indeed, it was almost inaudible. Fox... He was watching Naruto passively, but almost curiously, waiting for his reaction.  
  
He was not disappointed; Naruto looked away immediately. The boy knew that his action revealed the truth in that word, but... Sasuke... The ignorance of his peers was supposed to be his one true redemption. It was supposed to be the only chance he had... How did Sasuke know? And why did he choose to reveal his knowledge now?  
  
Well, the timing seemed obvious enough. Naruto was rendered helpless to react. Even if he would risk waking Sakura-chan from her sleep, Kakashi- sensei might arrive at any moment. Attacking Sasuke was out of the question, as was one of Naruto's typical outbursts. Clever... But Sasuke was still underestimating him. One hurt deserved another, and he spoke almost reflexively.  
  
"Orphan." The word, a direct result of his hurt and anger, was spoken before Naruto thought. Stiffening, Naruto felt his eyes widen as the full force of what he had just done dawned upon him. He had just completely, irrevocably destroyed his disguise. If any question at all had remained in Sasuke's mind about Naruto's true nature, he had just effectively dispelled it.  
  
But Sasuke had started it, damn it! The dark-haired boy had been the instigator from the beginning this morning. What did he want?  
  
Slightly unnerved at the lack of response from his teammate, Naruto slowly looked up. Sasuke stood, head down, fists clenched. "How did you know..." Sasuke growled, avoiding the other boy's eye.  
  
So Naruto had hit a nerve. The brutal murder of Sasuke's parents was not common knowledge in the village - but neither was the seal on Naruto's belly which imprisoned the demon fox! Apparently, Sasuke had seen through Naruto's guise for much, much longer than Naruto was aware, and surely the boy was now realizing the same about his blonde teammate. Like it or not, they were in a very similar situation.  
  
The silence stretched uncomfortably. His secret revealed, Naruto watched Sasuke openly now. The other boy seemed to be visibly shaken, wrestling with himself, and Naruto was suddenly grateful that he at least had none of the nightmarish memories which must haunt his teammate. An unprecedented surge of sympathy flooded through the blonde boy as he realized anew just how much pain Sasuke must still be carrying deep within himself.  
  
Finally, reluctantly, Naruto pushed himself to his feet and repositioned himself so that he stood directly in front of Sasuke. Absently rubbing the back of his head, the blonde boy tried to find a sincere smile. "Sasuke-" He paused as the other boy glared down at him, but stubbornly pushed forward. "Look, umm... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." The apology was genuine. He had no reason to hurt Sasuke and every reason to at least try to befriend him.  
  
With a small shiver, Sasuke seemed to regain his composure. "How did you know?" he repeated, catching and holding Naruto's eye.  
  
The boy swallowed, his mind racing. He was taking a leap of faith in trusting Sasuke, yet he had no other options now. Instincts which Naruto had refined over the last twelve years to prepare himself for any situation had failed him; he had been well and truly caught in his act by a boy that he did not even know if he could trust. He knew that his best course of action at this point was to just cooperate. The situation was beyond salvage. His anger at the other boy had once again prompted him to act carelessly, but perhaps he could mend the damage with a little honesty. Well, a lot of honesty. Sasuke was cold and calculating, but he was still human. Without a family he must be lonely, and Naruto hoped to use that to his advantage. They had wildly different pasts and vastly different hopes for the future, but... They were still two very similar creatures.  
  
His mind made up, Naruto dropped all pretences at stupidity and sighed, regarding Sasuke as openly and non-threateningly as he could. "I know a lot about you, Sasuke. I know about your family and why you want to kill your brother. I know how hard you have worked towards this ambition." He had the small satisfaction of watching the other boy's jaw drop as he spoke. Perhaps Sasuke had not figured Naruto out quite as well as he had initially assumed. "I know a lot about everybody. It's pretty easy to watch other people when they can't hear me and therefore assume that I am elsewhere." At this, Sasuke smirked, but remained silent. "I have never breathed a word of your past to anyone. It is not my secret to tell, and I respect that. I can only hope that you have respected mine in the same manner." A sharp nod followed this, and Naruto plunged ahead, trying not to let his relief color his voice. "I do not expect you to be my friend. You and I have both lived lives of sadness and loneliness, but if you are content in your solitude I will respect that. We obviously have different ways of coping with our losses and working towards our future ambitions. We ARE, however, teammates, and we will be for the foreseeable future. Although I do not know that I can consider you a friend, I would not like to consider you an enemy either. I have led others to believe in my stupidity for my own reasons. You are the first who has been let in on this secret, and I would appreciate your cooperation in helping me maintain this front as well." With that, Naruto lapsed into silence, holding his breath and hoping that his teammate would be amenable to these conditions.  
  
"Naruto..." Sasuke began after a moment's pause. "Your secrets are safe. You've kept mine. As to the rest... Again, you've kept my secrets. That is more than many would have done. I can respect that, and I can respect you. Around others, I will continue to treat you as I have if you will do the same for me. Perhaps, in private... We can be friends. But you and I will both be better off discussing this at a later time." The blonde-haired boy could have sworn he saw a ghost of a smile on Sasuke's lips as he spoke.  
  
With one of his patented grins, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as he allowed himself to slump down into his former lounging position. "Later is fine. And, Sasuke... Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome, dobe."  
  
Glancing over his shoulder, Naruto shared the first smile he had genuinely felt in ages with Sasuke.  
  
He had just made a powerful ally.  
  
But what was more... He had just made a friend.  
  
.....................  
  
As promised, here are my replies:  
  
Bishiehuggler: Can never have enough SasuNaru, hehe. I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to get to your review before I posted the last chapter, so I'll answer in here. I don't honestly know what I am going to do with this story. I kind of like the way it's going, generally following the manga/anime and introducing new "scenes" with the twist being Naruto's intelligence. And some feelings. I am pretty sure there will be a plot twist in here somewhere if you stick with me. That's the way I write.  
  
Myth720: Yeah, I know it's unoriginal, but I read a lot of fanfics, before I wrote this and rewatched the beginning of the series. I actually had some pretty interesting insights, and that's where this fanfic is coming from. Hopefully, this will turn out to be interesting. I'm not expecting the first few chapters to be too exciting since I'm trying to establish a bit of a background with this new view of Naruto, but afterwards things should get interesting, hehe.  
  
Ayako: Well, thank you very much!  
  
Silver Dragonfly: I'm glad you like it. I was hoping that other people would find this interesting!  
  
:D: I think that I will!  
  
Kurai: I've actually been contemplating whether Naruto's behavior is a front since the beginning of the Chuunin exams. I'm spending all of my time in class writing this fanfic, and I STILL have no idea where it's going to go, but it's the weekend soon... I'm sure there will be an awful lot more written by Monday. Keep an eye and I promise there will be more soon!  
  
Evafreak: Hehe, I've thought about being a shrink someday! I donno though. I'm still undeclared and everything, so I guess it could happen! I think really deeply about an awful lot of things, I guess this is no exception. Naruto does seem to have a lot of depth to him, I'm just writing it! And yeah, I think Naruto and Sasuke will be giving each other hugs hehe!!  
  
The Seer: Yeah, I tried to do something different. I read a bunch of the published fanfics before I started, and while I thought the SasuNaru was really neat, I didn't usually like how they got there... And I do think it's kind of inconsistent in the series how Naruto is an idiot most of the time but can suddenly come up with these great ideas. So I started wondering whether it might be like this, and off the idea went!  
  
Esaure: Hah, you started page 2 in my word processor of just replies. You guys all rock! I like the story, too, and I'm probably going to be proving it by writing more of it during class today. Whee!  
  
Angelic Hooligan: Glad you like it. I'm writing as fast as my classes can bore me!  
  
Iceheart19: Yeah, I like to think that Naruto is smarter than we all think he is. I kind of like this Naruto!  
  
Kkoganei: Why thank you. I'm glad there are people who appreciate my writing! It really does make me want to write more!  
  
Silver-blossom: Why thank you!  
  
CrazyAce: Maybe I should watch that sometime if it resembles what I am writing. I'm glad you approve!!  
  
Thank you all for reading! Chapter 4 should be up tonight (I write fast when I get into it) or tomorrow! 


	4. Confusion

A/N: Sorry this didn't get posted earlier in the day, but DDR consumed my life for a good four hours this afternoon. I'm easily distracted, ok! Hehe. But I'll stick to what I said I'd do and get a chapter up every day this weekend. I can't make any promises about next week or the coming weekend. Boyfriend is visiting from another state and you know how it goes. I can't wait! *bounce* Anyway! On with the chapter! Once again the reviews that I received in my email before I posted this chapter will be addressed at the end of the story. You guys are great for giving me enough reviews to justify putting my replies at the end *grin*  
  
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.  
  
............  
  
Kakashi-sensei's arrival, more than four hours late, sparked an immediate explosion from two of his students. True to his character, Naruto joined the now awake Sakura in loudly voicing complaints about their teacher's tardiness and in grumbling discontentedly about his poor excuse. Sasuke, of course, remained silent. Arms crossed, he watched his two teammates with a slight scowl.  
  
As Kakashi-sensei got down to business and explained the rules of their test, however, Naruto had to wonder. The test was obviously designed to require teamwork at the same time as it promoted fighting among the teammates. With only two bells, one of them would be forced to sacrifice his or her interests for the good of the group. Which one of them would be willing to go back to the academy so the other two could surpass them? Naruto knew that he could not offer to make that sacrifice; his façade was that of a loud idiot who typically had his best interests at heart. Sasuke, of course, had a different problem. He would be forced to avoid his teammates at all costs; he, the loner, must work on his own to retrieve a bell. Naruto could have worked with Sakura without jeopardizing himself, but she would not work with him. She would readily work with Sasuke, but in order to maintain his guise, Sasuke would have nothing to do with her. Sasuke and Naruto certainly could not work together either. Worst of all, none of the three was strong enough to obtain a bell on his or her own. Although he seemed flaky, their new sensei certainly possessed a keen intellect and a shrewd mind.  
  
The boy could not even consult his teammates about their predicament without raising the suspicions of not only Kakashi-sensei, but also Sakura- chan. If anything, by giving Sasuke a full glimpse of his potential Naruto had only made his disguise more difficult to maintain. The boys understood each other and were even happy to work together as teammates, but they could not do so. In order to protect one another, they must be willing and even PLEASED to watch the other fail without lifting a finger to help.  
  
But... Naruto did not want Sasuke to fail. Nor did he want Sakura-chan to fail. Perhaps there was a reason beyond marks that they had been teamed together. Out of the twenty seven graduating members of their class, Naruto and Sasuke, the two with the most devastating pasts, the two who were the most likely to bond and understand one another, had been placed on the same team. Sakura-chan was probably the person who had been the nicest to Naruto although she had not meant to.  
  
For the second time that day, Naruto was forced to wonder whether he was really fooling anyone with his façade. Of course, Kakashi-sensei was old enough to know about the demon fox sealed inside Naruto's belly, but how much else did he know?  
  
As Kakashi-sensei calmly explained that they were allowed to use their weapons to come at him with killer intent, Naruto threw his hands behind his head and offhandedly reminded his teacher of the prank he had walked into only the day before. It was a very characteristic, very Naruto-ish remark designed to elicit a response, and he was not disappointed.  
  
Kakashi-sensei barely spared him a glance, returning Naruto's insult in such a bored tone that the boy stiffened immediately. Dobe... That name again! He had steeled himself to the hatred and disregard of everyone in the village, but first Sasuke and now Kakashi-sensei... Why did he care what they thought? Why was such anger overcoming him at their blatant disapproval? Grinding his teeth, the boy reached into his thigh pocket, grabbed his kunai and shot after his sensei without a moment's thought. The corner of Naruto's mind that remained detached from the boy's actions reminded him what his angry reactions had already cost him today, but the rest of him... The rest of him wanted blood.  
  
There was not even enough time to register his sensei's movements before Naruto found himself with his back to Kakashi-sensei and the tip of his own kunai being forcibly held at the nape of his neck. Even as he tried to look behind himself without moving his head, Naruto caught the stunned expressions on Sakura's and even Sasuke's faces. This man... Flaky as he seemed, he was definitely eons ahead of his students. If they could find a way to pass this initial test without breaking their carefully maintained characters, they stood to learn a lot from their new sensei.  
  
............  
  
A/N: Yeah... I know that this was a really short chapter, but it was more fitting to put the rest of what I wanted to say in the next chapter. Sorry to those of you who don't like how closely I'm following the manga/anime in some places, but it is necessary every so often in order to keep the story parallel to the manga/anime. In other words, in order for it to follow approximately the same story line, the two have got to overlap in some places. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but that's my logic anyway. Regardless, chapter five should be up tonight or earlyish tomorrow. Reviews are welcome and encouraged as usual *innocent smile* And now, on to the replies!  
  
Miya Wada: Yeah, I know that the first chapter is really, really based on the anime/manga, but I was trying to establish the idea of Naruto's intelligence in a setting which the fans of Naruto could accept and relate to easily. I will follow the timeline of the anime, but more and more I think this is going to focus around what you don't see in the series.  
  
Silver Dragonfly: Still very glad that you're reading!  
  
SirenM: I'm glad you're intrigued! It's supposed to be that way mwahaha!  
  
Ayako: Yeah, but you won't hear it too terribly much unless he's alone with Sasuke or in his thoughts...  
  
Foxgrl: I know! That was actually when I started thinking it...  
  
Adyen: I know not everyone likes SasuNaru... I don't know why it interests me so much, honestly. There will be SOME stuff going on between them, but I don't know that the story will be particularly focused on the sexual aspect of them. I'm too into wondering where the whole thing with Naruto being smart is going to go, honestly.  
  
Kkoganei: I'm glad you like it! I'll keep writing as fast as I can!  
  
:D: I'll get to that, I promise! And I promise to continue too. I love the reviews too much to stop! Hehe. I'm such an attention whore *grin*  
  
Escuro de la Lus: I really like the way this portrayal of Naruto is coming. He's smart*ER*, but not so smart it's unrealistic. I can't wait to keep writing!  
  
Bishiehuggler: I didn't exactly change the situation with the fox. The way that Sasuke found out will come up in the story, but just keep in mind that the hokage mentions in the first episode that he has punished anyone who talked about it... Which means that people HAVE spoken of it. Never know who might be listening... 


	5. Moonlight Encounters

A/N: Hmm. Spent more time than I anticipated at dinner last night. I'm sorry this is up as late in the day as it is. Hope it's worth the wait... Replies are, as usual, at the end. The website is being pissy and not reading my html tags, so I guess that flashbacks are going to be denoted by a pair of the asterisks I use for emotes. In other words, **all of this is a flashback,** but this is not. It should not be too terribly hard to follow; all of my flashbacks are entire paragraphs. Hope no one is too confused =(  
  
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.  
  
............  
  
Naruto could sense that the shadow was there again. Watching him. He had been aware of his nameless watcher for much of the last few years. With increasing frequency the boy could sense the shadow's presence at night. It never moved, always remained for a only few minutes before disappearing as abruptly as it came. The shadow was careful, hovering beyond what should have been the fringes of the loud boy's consciousness, never getting close enough for the real Naruto to perceive anything more than its very presence. All the boy knew was that it was always the same person. The sun had slipped below the horizon, plunging the world into twilight, only minutes before the shadow's arrival. Even if Naruto would turn, even if he would drop his disguise and openly acknowledge the shadow, he would not be able to see anything. Although he could clearly sense the shadow's presence tonight, he did not feel threatened by the intrusion. If whoever watched him almost nightly meant him harm, Naruto was confident that he would be able to sense it.  
  
Twilight was fast fading into true night and he was still sitting beneath the post where Kakashi-sensei and his teammates had left him almost eight hours earlier. It had been a fairly simple matter to free himself from the ropes that bound him, but for some reason... He just did not feel like going home.  
  
The boy sighed, fidgeting to find a more comfortable position.  
  
**The test had been even more difficult for them to pass than Naruto had anticipated. Many of his assumptions about the actions each would take had proven correct, but he had still wildly underestimated their teacher's strength and cunning. Sasuke, too, had made that mistake. Knowing this caused Naruto to smile slightly despite himself; it was always nice to be reminded that even Sasuke still had much to learn. He had not considered that they could only pass or fail this test as a team. Kakashi-sensei had truly seemed sadistic by giving that test, but it made sense now. He was genuinely excited to learn from the man.**  
  
Hunching so that his chin rested on his knees, Naruto idly watched the wind dancing in the leaves. The shadow had remained longer on this night than it had ever stayed in the past, yet he continued to ignore it.  
  
**Of course, Naruto had been required to act like an idiot during the test. He had gone off on his own from the onset, breaking every rule he had learned from Iruka-sensei. Although his actions seemed senseless and stupid, they were in truth the only form of aid he had been able to safely lend to Sasuke. Even that had not been enough to actually defeat their sensei. All of Naruto's antics, all of his flashy, arrogant behavior, everything had been designed to command his teacher's full attention. As Naruto had hoped, Sasuke had been able to take advantage of this, watching carefully for an opening and attacking in the proper manner at the proper time, but... Even that much teamwork had to be carefully concealed to look like two budding rivals fighting each other as they competed for the bells. Sakura had been all but useless, but... Naruto had not expected much else. She was a nice girl, but was too concerned with Sasuke.**  
  
The boy's stomach rumbled, and he uncurled enough to pat it absently. Although he had not eaten more than a bite of rice that day, he was not yet ready to return home.  
  
**Although it had been difficult to watch the others eat in front of him, Naruto had been determined to suffer in silence. Teamwork... As he watched the others eat and tried to ignore the growling of his stomach, the boy wondered whether the other two would heed their teacher's advice. Sasuke, he was fairly sure, would deign to work with the other two. Sakura would be thrilled, although she still may not be eager to work with Naruto. No matter, now that Naruto and Sasuke could work together openly this test might just be passable.  
  
As Naruto's stomach continued to voice its displeasure with increasing volume, he realized that his two teammates were beginning to notice. Immediately, he began a loud monologue, asserting that he would be fine without food. And then, Sasuke had surprised him.  
  
Hesitating only slightly, he had offered Naruto his food. Although he reasoned away his gesture by explaining to Sakura that if Naruto was hungry he would not be able to help them get the bells after lunch, the glance he shot Naruto said otherwise. So Sasuke cared that he ate. Somehow, that felt very good.  
  
His next surprise had come only a moment later when Sakura, too, offered Naruto her food. Although he knew that she had only done so because Sasuke had offered his, Naruto was still grateful to the girl.**  
  
As he sat, he wondered if Sasuke would have fed him if Sakura-chan had not offered. The thought caused a very Naruto-ish snicker. The sound broke the silence that had settled around him with the night, and the boy shivered. How long had the shadow been watching him now?  
  
**The next few moments were a blur. Naruto had gratefully accepted the food Sakura offered and had just swallowed when Kakashi-sensei appeared, yelling, from a cloud of smoke. With a jutsu the boy had never seen before, Kakashi-sensei had brought a storm from nowhere, shadowing the three children. Terrified, Naruto had done the only thing he could think of, loudly reminding their furious teacher that they had been told to work as a team. To his gratification, first Sasuke and then Sakura hand leapt in to support him. And then-**  
  
With a start, Naruto shot to his feet, keeping his body loose in case of an attack, whipping around to face his watcher. The movement had been fast; one moment the shadow had been on the edge Naruto's awareness and the next... Straining his eyes, Naruto could finally make out a silhouette leaning against a tree. The presence was not menacing, and the boy felt not fear, but curiosity. Who had been watching him for all these years?  
  
Slowly making his way towards his watcher, Naruto abruptly relaxed as recognition flooded his senses. "Has it been you this whole time?" he asked softly, freely approaching the other and stopping a few feet away from his companion.  
  
Sasuke just smiled.  
  
"Has it?" Naruto pressed, taking a small step closer. He was not exactly afraid of Sasuke, but he was not quite sure where they stood either.  
  
The dark haired boy dropped his eyes, his smile becoming a smirk as he crossed his arms. "You are a very interesting person, Naruto," he said at last, looking up and catching Naruto's eye. Naruto stood, staring, unsure what to say, and eventually Sasuke continued. "I didn't think you had noticed me as I watched you. I realized today that you must have."  
  
"I have," the other boy began uncertainly, but Sasuke shook his head and Naruto subsided. Obviously the other boy wanted to do the talking now.  
  
"I underestimated you."  
  
"Everybody has," the blonde mumbled quietly, and Sasuke laughed. The sound was not unpleasant.  
  
"I came back to untie you. The Naruto that everybody knows wouldn't have been able to free himself." Sasuke regarded him solemnly, eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke. "You weren't at home, so I assumed you were still here. I was partially right."  
  
"I didn't feel like going home yet..." Again, Sasuke stopped him with a look. Breaking eye contact once more, Sasuke looked down, contemplating his feet before taking a step towards Naruto. They were within easy reach of one another now, and again, Naruto found himself unsure of how to proceed. Trying to break the tension, the blonde spoke again. "Thank you for offering me food before."  
  
The other boy's eyes remained fixated on his feet as he spoke. "We work well as a team. Even Sakura." Shrugging, he shoved his hands in his pockets, assuming his characteristic slouch as he changed the subject. "I've often wondered about you. About who you really are." Utterly lost for words, Naruto chose to remain quiet. "We have both lived hard lives. I have never really had a friend..."  
  
"Nor have I..." He broke off as he felt the other boy's hand on his shoulder. The touch was soft, a companionable gesture, yet he hoped that the dark would hide the growing blush on his cheeks.  
  
"You must be hungry," Sasuke said, his eyes once again locked on Naruto's. He had not removed his hand from the blonde's shoulder, nor had the other boy moved. The moment seemed to stretch as Naruto wrestled internally, wondering what he should say. A handful of unfamiliar emotions were tearing at him, warring with one another.  
  
At last, he dropped his eyes and nodded. Almost regretfully, he broke away from Sasuke, turning as if to leave. "I was going to eat some cup ramen at home."  
  
"No." Confused, Naruto faced his teammate once more. "I was going to ask... Do you want to go get some ramen at Icharaku?"  
  
"You and I shouldn't be letting anyone see us together and not trying to kill each other. They'll start to wonder."  
  
"It's late. I'll treat."  
  
Those were the magic words. With a grin and a snicker, Naruto walked back over to Sasuke and together they made their way back into the village.  
  
**"You pass." Kakashi-sensei had seemed genuinely thrilled when he smiled and spoke those words, catching them all off guard. The pride in his visible eye had been almost heart wrenching for Naruto. Besides Iruka- sensei, no one had ever looked at him so warmly.**  
  
Sasuke had looked at him tonight with eyes that were, if possible, more friendly and warm than Naruto had thought possible. With sudden conviction, he was glad that he had let Sasuke in.  
  
In a nearby tree, Kakashi smiled, inwardly relieved that neither boy had sensed his presence. As soon as they were out of sight, the silver-haired man dropped to the ground and meandered away. He wanted to finish the next chapter in his book before their first mission in the morning.  
  
............  
  
Silver Dragonfly: I honestly think that we're starting to see some of Sakura's deeper side as the series progresses. She has less to lose than the two boys by letting others in on her real strength and her emotions, though, so I don't think her character goes QUITE as deep as theirs seem to. I've been watching the anime again as I write this (this will be the third time through), so it's interesting how many insights and nuances I'm picking up when I'm looking for them!  
  
Ayako: Yeah, that turned longer than I thought it would, but most of it is the thought process that Naruto went through. I cut it off at that point because I didn't think that scene was very connected with the test. The test is more about the actions than the reasoning behind the actions and I plan to largely skim over it since we all know what happens and how.  
  
Luna Aelf Writer: Well thank you! I'm writing as fast as I can *grin*  
  
Evafreak: I think you're completely right about the bus thing. You really don't realize how much you don't know about people until you just sit and... THINK about it. I'm glad you like my story 'cause I like it too. I've written other stories in the past with my own characters and settings, but since I never had a place to post chapters and get feedback most of those faded away into the background. I still have some of them and maybe if I ever get a break through writing someday I will take them out and finish and polish them and see about having them published. I know about Naruto's need to be loved and respected, but I think that need is almost coupled with his need to protect himself. He keeps this façade up in order to work towards a goal - his goal of being hokage, and that whole goal is based around his need to be loved and respected. And that's why he was actually glad to have Sasuke in on his secret *wink* By the way, I actually do not get straight A's on English. I have had many teachers who did not like my writing style in the slightest and my grades reflected that...  
  
Escuro de la Lus: Yeah, I know the last chapter was short, but this one should be at least slightly longer!!  
  
:D: *continues!* 


	6. One Week

A/N: Ahh... I am starting this way too late on a school night. Gah! I'm a college student! 10:30 on a school night is not supposed to be late! Why did I ever have to sign up for 8:40 classes? *sob* But anyway... Since my teachers suck and since I have *counts* four tests, my second midterm oral exam (stupid me is taking French and Spanish at the same time) and a speech all coming up this week (not to mention the imminent arrival of boyfriend!), I don't know how much this will be getting updated until October 21. I will try to get at least two or three chapters up in the meantime (knowing me it will likely either be a lot less or a lot more), but no promises. I guess you should all be keeping your fingers crossed for my teachers to bore the hell out of me in what few non-test classes I actually have, huh? Seeing as how that's where I do most of my planning and writing... *grin* Anyways... Read and give me reviews! *insert shameless plug for reviews here* The reviews one of the biggest reasons I keep writing this =) Umm... Anything else? This is going to probably be a long chapter since I have a lot to say that is relevant-ish to this time period and since this story is fast becoming a major source of stress relief. Review replies are at the end, yadda yadda yadda... And flashbacks are still denoted by **'s at the beginning and end. If someone wanted to comment and tell me how to get ff.net to let me use italics through Microsoft Word (I've tried the html tags), I would be forever in their debt... Anyway! On with the story!  
  
Warning: If you don't like fluff you prolly won't read this chapter, although I personally think it's sweet.  
  
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.  
  
............  
  
Stifling a yawn, Naruto could not help but glance at his teammates to determine whether they appeared to be as bored as he was. He should have saved his energy. As usual, Sasuke stood, arms crossed, staring straight ahead with a stony expression. Sakura-chan was, predictably, staring at Sasuke. This scene had repeated itself every single day for a week.  
  
Throwing his arms nonchalantly behind his head and staring up at the sky, the boy sighed loudly as he raked his mind for something to say which would fill the silence. It was unlike him to be this quiet, yet today he could not seem to think of a single thing to prattle about. Spending an hour or more babbling every day to the same two people for a week had severely depleted his store of creative nonsense. Being obnoxiously perky certainly had its difficulties!  
  
At last he resorted to a traditional and well-worn complaint. "Where is Kakashi-sensei? He told us to be here an hour ago. Why doesn't he ever come on time? We're here just like he said we should be so he should be too!" Despite herself, Sakura nodded agreement, silently egging him on. Sasuke only narrowed his eyes, saying nothing. This, too, was a very well rehearsed scene. As Naruto opened his mouth to continue whining, he was cut off by his teacher's abrupt appearance.  
  
"Ohay-" Kakashi-sensei began, raising his hand in greeting.  
  
"You're late!" cried two frustrated students, pointing accusingly while the third simply closed his eyes and smirked.  
  
"Yeah... Sorry guys, but I remembered something important that I had to take care of..." The man absently rubbed the back of his head, his visible eye crinkling as he smiled. He did not acknowledge the angry shrieks of "liar!" that followed his excuse, instead choosing to explain their mission for the day. "We have been assigned to clean up some of the trash that's lying around outside our village. It will probably take all day since we have a lot of ground to cover. We will be splitting up into pairs to do this more efficiently. Sasuke and Naruto, you take the North and East sides of the village. Sakura and I will take the South and West sides. Meet back here when you are done. Slowpokes buy dinner." Again, their teacher smiled, apparently pleased at himself for turning a dull task into a team competition.  
  
"But what does that have to do with being a ninja? We're not even training," Naruto grumbled, squinting up at his teacher. His complaints followed the team's mission statements like clockwork, and the rest of the team had stopped responding after the second day. He knew that they expected him to complain, though, and so he did. He had to admit to himself that he really would have liked to try something at least slightly more challenging, but he did understand the reasoning behind such simple assignments. SOMEONE had to do them, and the new genin were the logical candidates. Furthermore, most missions did not take up the full day, leaving them time to either accomplish two missions or spend the afternoon training as a group. The assignments were certainly boring, yes, but not unreasonable. And they did promote teamwork.  
  
As he accepted the largish bag and pointed stick that Kakashi-sensei thrust at him and followed Sasuke out of the village, loudly complaining the entire time, Naruto reflected on the events that had occurred within the last week. In the week since team seven had officially passed their training exam, much had changed.  
  
They were all settling into their new roles in each others' lives with some difficulty. Kakashi-sensei, for example, had never trained a team of genin before, nor had he ever been held responsible for children. The missions that were assigned to the team did include him, and he could not always mask his boredom with a flakily cheerful attitude. The man was still largely a mystery to Naruto, but unless the boy was completely mistaken... In only a week, Kakashi-sensei had certainly developed a large amount of affection towards his team. He was certainly making progress in dealing with a very difficult situation.  
  
Sakura-chan seemed to be at least trying to get along with the others. She, too, had had a very sticky situation thrust upon her, and she had not had the luxury of a choice to opt out of her predicament the way Naruto assumed Kakashi-sensei had. Although her obvious dislike of Naruto had not faded, and although she had not stopped fawning over the uninterested Sasuke, she was making an effort to be universally cheerful. Without exception, it was she who put forth the most effort in their missions. Her chatter seemed to rival Naruto's at times, and when she seemed to forget that it was Naruto she was working with she could be downright pleasant. The pair had not stopped quibbling over little things, and Naruto had not curbed his apparent interest in the girl, but they were quickly developing an odd sense of camaraderie if nothing else.  
  
Sasuke... Naruto could not stop himself from glancing over at his dark- haired teammate as they wandered around the fringes of their village a few yards apart, snagging the occasional piece of litter. Neither spoke, and neither so much as acknowledged the other's presence, but this was typical. In public, Sasuke had changed very little in the past week. True, he would work with his teammates readily enough when ordered to do so, but he remained condescending and cold at all times. Always calculating. Sakura- chan's advances were brushed off, and Sasuke chose to disregard the rivalry that seemed to be developing between himself and Naruto while Naruto, for his part, did everything he could to penetrate his teammate's damning calm. Their behavior was an act more now than ever before, carefully played out to protect their mutual secrets. The insults they flung at one another were becoming endearing as their competitive spirits aided and forced their mutual growth.  
  
To an outsider, Sasuke may not have changed very much, but in private... In private, all bets were off concerning Uchiha Sasuke. His shell was cracking where the blonde was concerned. Every time Naruto saw the boy in private, the changes were more and more apparent, yet neither said anything about them. At first, it had only been little things...  
  
**The offer of dinner had caught Naruto off guard although he was grateful in retrospect. That night, they ate side by side at the counter of Icharaku, speaking little, simply enjoying the company. After, standing awkwardly outside the little restaurant, the silence had become somewhat uncomfortable as they each struggled for words. Both boys were essentially social outcasts, and neither knew how to voice his thoughts.  
  
Naruto had sighed. Who would have thought that meaningful words would be so difficult to say? He was reluctant to end what had been a surprisingly pleasant day with someone who had turned out to be a surprisingly pleasant person. Unhappily, he realized how late it was getting. "We should get some sleep. We start our missions tomorrow-"  
  
"Let's meet again. Tomorrow-" Sasuke had begun at the same time.  
  
They exchanged amused glances. Naruto laughed while Sasuke gave one of his typical smirks.  
  
"Meet at the same place we met up tonight? No one really goes there," Naruto suggested, tactilely agreeing to Sasuke's suggestion.  
  
"Sure. After dark." For a few moments more, they lingered before parting for the night.  
  
Oddly enough, Naruto's home had never seemed as empty as it did when he returned that night.**  
  
Those initial small changes had spread with unbelievable swiftness. It was as though there were two different Sasukes: the cold bastard that halfheartedly taunted Naruto during the day and the uncertain boy with whom he spent his nights.  
  
**Their meeting that next night was a relatively short one. Their task of helping an elderly woman clean her house had taken its toll, leaving both boys physically exhausted. Neither felt much like talking about anything serious, but it was still nice to spend a few minutes unwinding in friendly and unguarded company before heading off to their respective homes.  
  
That night, as they lay sprawled side by side, gazing up at the stars and talking idly about their day, Naruto heard Sasuke laugh for the first time. The blonde was accurately mimicking their employer's high-pitched orders when his companion just... Started laughing.  
  
Encouraged, Naruto expanded his imitation until he, too, dissolved into laughter. He did not, however, miss the way that Sasuke's laughter touched his eyes, and he resolved to make his friend laugh as often as possible.  
  
Anyone who overheard them at that moment might have mistaken them for a pair of normal children.  
  
In his customary tree, hidden from view, Kakashi looked up from his book and smiled.**  
  
Stabbing at another piece of litter, Naruto glanced over at Sasuke in time to catch the other boy looking him, an odd expression on his face. Naruto offered him a smile which was returned ever so slightly as they both surveyed the area for more trash. Seeing none, they moved on.  
  
**Their moonlight meetings had become tradition after that night. No matter how long their day, no matter how tiring their missions or training, they always gravitated back to the posts by which they had officially become a team. Their meetings were no longer just about two lost boys searching for companionship; now, they were about something more. They were a release from the pressures of their day-to-day lives. Support, comfort, empathy: things that both boys needed but that neither could expect from a family at home, they began to find in each other.  
  
They very rarely talked about anything serious. Their pasts were ignored and the future was never discussed. These less cheerful aspects of life could be dissected and talked about at length another day. For one life- changing week, they lived in the present, taking each day as it came and allowing this unfamiliar feeling called friendship to blossom within them under the watchful eye of their sensei.**  
  
As the sun began to color the sky, they surveyed their assigned area one last time. Satisfied with the completed task, they shouldered their full bags and trooped back into the village, hurrying to their appointed meeting spot. Because it was expected, Naruto lagged a few steps behind Sasuke, preparing a slew of excuses to explain how Sasuke had been responsible for their tardy arrival.  
  
"Remember that I threatened you with the stick after I spilled your bag and blamed it on you, dobe" Sasuke said abruptly, smiling that amused half- smile that would have driven Naruto insane only a week ago. Shooting a vulpine grin at his teammate, Naruto filed that away as a possibility. Kakashi-sensei wasn't the only one who could think up outrageous excuses.  
  
Unfortunately, Naruto never had a chance to voice the excuses that he and Sasuke prepared that day. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan were nowhere to be seen when they arrived.  
  
If possible, Naruto's grin grew even broader at the thought of the free ramen he was going to eat that night.  
  
............  
  
A/N: Hmm... That went in a slightly direction than I thought it would, but I think that I like it. I'll throw up my reviews and post this before people riot that I went two full days without posting anything. Next chapter will hopefully be up tomorrow (light day of tests), but please don't hold me to that. Hope you all enjoyed!  
  
Silver Dragonfly: I think you're right about Sakura's covers. She's got more to her than I'm showing right now, but this is the Sakura you see in the anime and manga at this point. The only two characters I'm changing at all are Naruto and Sasuke, and I'm still trying to keep them as in character as possible. As for Kakashi... I promise, I will address that in my story sooner or later *grin*  
  
Sonha: I kind of like following the series with my own little additions here and there. I think that it fleshes out the storyline nicely while allowing me some freedom with the characters. I am glad you like it!  
  
Dreams Coast: I'm continuing as fast as I possibly can. Hopefully after this week I will have more time to go through the manga and anime and pick out the places where I had some inspirations so that I can continue writing this. I'm having a great time, and I'm glad my writing is getting some recognition!  
  
:D: I'm sorry if you don't like fluff, but I think that in a story of the length I plan on making this it's kind of inevitable =( I kind of like it, and I really am going somewhere with this! I love how well Kakashi hides, too hehe.  
  
Minna-sama no megami: Well thank you! I'm glad you approve of my fanfic =)  
  
Firehedgehog: Thank you!  
  
Bishiehuggler: Sakura's gonna catch on, but I haven't really gotten into that yet. Sasuke's not really a stalker, just lonely and curious, I think... I donno. And they're still developing a friendship. I'm doing this from the start so I can develop that friendship before they start to like each other as more than friends *wink*  
  
Adyen: Thank you for your review. I agree about building a friendship.  
  
Escuro de la Lus: Oooh, I like applause! Thank you! I will write more just for that!  
  
Ace and Avalon Hunter: Hehe, you are funny =) I'll be looking into what you've written when I have some time. I'm really glad you liked it!  
  
Evafreak: I don't want to rush the SasuNaru thing... That's actually something I've not liked about a lot of the fanfics. It'll come, I promise I promise. And when it comes it will hopefully be well worth the wait!  
  
Ishda Kat: I'm glad I'm pulling this off in a believable manner. Trust me, Sasuke and Kakashi aren't the only ones who are on to Naruto, but to a twelve year old... Well, he's fooling everyone in his eyes =) And by the way, the longer review was nice. You actually had a lot of depth and thought in it, and I appreciate that, so thank you!  
  
Luna Aelf Writer: Thank you! I will keep writing as long as people keep reviewing *wink*  
  
Iceheart19: Laugh, my secret =) You'll find out soon enough! And fluff can be good sometimes, right?  
  
Chibi Neko-chan3: I felt the same way about Sasuke too, but the characters in this series have a habit of surprising you, so I am giving him the benefit of the doubt at the moment. Call me crazy. I love the way the characters are being portrayed. Not too sissy but not too tough. They're... Twelve...  
  
TheSeer: The idea originated during the Chuunin exams, and after going through the series a second time I caught a lot of discontinuities that supported it. I'll be exploiting them during this fanfic, to be sure =) I will definitely be taking you up on your idea for original fiction, and thank you very much for the suggestion!  
  
Dia5: It's coming, it's coming, but I am NOT going to just jump into it after I've gone to so much trouble making the story realistic. I promise it's coming though cause I'm a huge fan of this pairing =)  
  
A/N: Ahh! It's 11:30! Time for bed, all. I'll write more tomorrow. Ninite! *runs off* 


	7. Understanding

A/N: Once again, I'm starting this very late on a school night like the dummy I am. I also got very little sleep last night, so forgive me if this is a little weird. I'll be finishing it Thursday afternoon before boyfriend arrives, so never fear =) I wrote a lot of it in class... Bleh, boring classes suck. Since I have received fourteen reviews in the twenty or so hours since I posted my last chapter, I am going to be answering at the bottom again. Thank you all for your support. It's much appreciated, and it goes a long way towards making me want to write more. So... Um... Give me more! *grin* This chapter will start moving the story on again, so be prepared for a lot of anime parallels in the beginning at least. I promise to put an interesting twist on what happens in the manga and anime, but you guys have to put up with a little bit of repeated information in order for that to happen. And with that, on with the chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.  
  
............  
  
Another week gone. Another week of boring, mind-numbing missions where their most dangerous moment involved the flailing cat that Naruto was currently trying to hold at arm's length. Shopping, babysitting, minor repairs, cleaning-at last, as they returned Tora to her rather over exuberant owner only to be ordered out on yet another fluff mission, Naruto felt something inside of him snap. He had tried. By all appearances he had tried to suppress his loudmouthed complaints, keeping them between himself and his team, but no longer. When he opened his mouth to argue this time, the real Naruto, the self that he kept under tight lock and key during the day, practically screamed agreement.  
  
Cutting the hokage off mid-sentence, the boy narrowed his eyes as he yelled. "NO! No thank you! I want to do, you know, a more incredible mission! Find us a better one." He felt justified in this outburst knowing that Sasuke, at least, agreed with him although he would not dare concur with Naruto's opinions here. The meaningless chores they were being assigned may need to be done, but they could only take so much before taking a break for something more exciting!  
  
For a moment, silence filled the room as everyone stared at the loud boy. Although all had known that this outburst was very likely coming, none wanted to be the first to react.  
  
Decisively, Iruka rose, practically reeking anger at Naruto's disrespect. When the boy tried to protest, he was punched by Kakashi-sensei before being forced to endure a lecture from the hokage that reiterated almost word for word the explanation that Kakashi-sensei had given the boy after his first complaint of this nature.  
  
As the elder spoke, the blonde decided to aggravate the situation one step further in the hope of sparking some sort of a reaction. Turning around, the boy began an in depth discussion with his team about their dinner plans for the evening. Hearing the hokage's voice rise in anger as the man realized that he was being ignored, Naruto spun around and glared, yelling, "I'm not the troublemaking brat you still think I am!" before he turned his back to Iruka-sensei and the hokage once more to sit cross-legged on the floor, pouting.  
  
Again, silence reigned. At the worst, Naruto was going to get a sound ass- kicking. At the best, he had gotten his point across. And then-  
  
-Laughing, the hokage gave in. "Okay, I understand. If you want it that much, I'll give you a C-rank mission. It's the protection of a certain individual."  
  
In truth, Naruto was the only other person in the room who had not been caught off guard by this abrupt change of heart. The boy's methods had been rather unorthodox, but they still worked! As his true self sighed in relief that his half-baked plan had succeeded, he plastered a grin on his face and leaned forward eagerly. "Who, who! A noble lord? Or, or, a princess?"  
  
He felt his face fall, however, when the man they were now assigned to protect entered the room. Tall, with a rope tied about his head, a rolled pack on his back and a bottle of liquor in his hand, Tazuna the bridge constructor immediately began insulting the blonde. Although he was inwardly more amused than insulted at the man's snap-judgments, Naruto made a show of throwing death threats at their new employer, effectively ignoring his sensei's sound advice to shut up.  
  
As a group, they decided that since it was already late afternoon, they would spend the evening packing and making provisions for what could potentially be a long journey. After agreeing to meet at seven the next morning, they each went their separate ways to prepare.  
  
That night, Naruto met with Sasuke as usual, although the tone of this encounter had altered substantially from the others. Knowing that the morning would bring a potential end to their moonlight meetings, both boys arrived early and stayed late. Sleep could be made up. Gone was the feeling of careless camaraderie that had ruled their previous evenings. For the first time since Naruto had entrusted Sasuke with his hidden nature, they spoke seriously.  
  
"Are you nervous?" The blonde greeted his companion, curious if his slight apprehension was shared.  
  
"Nah. Well... Not really. A little, I guess," Sasuke admitted. "But more excited. It's about time we got a more difficult mission. We'll never get stronger if we continue with missions like the ones we've been getting."  
  
"Yeah..." For a while, they lay in their customary positions, sprawled side by side and gazing at the stars, each lost in his own thoughts. The weather these past two weeks had been gorgeous, and the boys had admired the view every time they met. Finally, hesitantly, Naruto once again spoke. "Umm... Hey."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Well..." Sitting up and looking down at Sasuke, Naruto bit his lip slightly as he tried to find the appropriate words. "What are you going to do? After you've killed him?"  
  
Sasuke shot into a sitting position and he regarded Naruto through slitted eyes. "I wish you wouldn't talk about that." A hint of anger colored his voice, and although the blonde had been expecting a similar response, he still recoiled slightly.  
  
"It's your future, isn't it? You can't live on hate forever. Things change... People change. Situations change..." Seeing Sasuke's face tighten as he was reminded of unpleasant memories, Naruto trailed off, looking away from his companion. "I'm sorry. We can talk about something else if you like."  
  
An affirmative answer on the tip of his tongue, Sasuke hesitated. The expression of genuine curiosity and sincerity on Naruto's face as he had asked the probing question had touched him. Right now, for what felt like the first time in his life, Sasuke was being offered a choice. He could end this conversation now and it would very likely never be started again until such time as Sasuke chose to initiate it. Naruto would understand, would not press the issue, and it was for that reason that Sasuke felt that he could trust the boy. Though his experiences were not identical, Naruto could relate to Sasuke's pain. He could relate to everything that Sasuke had experienced, and that alone prompted Sasuke to continue the conversation now, by his own will.  
  
Although it was difficult, Sasuke forced his voice to soften. "No. We can talk about this." Stiffly, he lay back, and now he was the one avoiding Naruto's eyes. A thoughtful silence fell upon the pair as both took a moment to collect themselves. At last, Sasuke closed his eyes and heart, dropped his walls and spoke. "I am an avenger. Maybe it isn't the future I would have chosen for myself, but it is the future that was given to me." His tone was cold, distant, but Naruto wisely made no comment. "After that... Well, I always thought I would work towards resurrecting my clan. I am the last survivor of my bloodline. When I die, the Uchiha clan will be extinct." His voice remained steady, but a slight twinge in the last word caused the blonde to look down at him in concern.  
  
"Do you want to have a family?" he asked timidly.  
  
"Maybe someday. When I'm older. If it fits my life..." Sasuke opened his eyes and gave Naruto a sad smile. "I'd have to find a girl that doesn't drive me crazy first." As Naruto chuckled softly, Sasuke ventured to ask a question of his own. "How did you know about my family?"  
  
"Probably the same way you knew about my fox," Naruto answered solemnly, looking down at his hands. "Even though they've been ordered not to, people talk. They do it when they think no one is listening, but it still happens. If you were watching me, I can only assume you have watched other people as well. That you would have heard them talk..." The boy shivered, remembering the undisguised malice and hatred he had detected in those conversations. Sometimes, when he remembered all of that hatred, it was all he could do to keep his cheerful exterior from shattering. "It's hard, ne? To hear people talk about you. To know that they fear you..."  
  
"They couldn't possibly understand. Most of them, anyway. I think-I think that you've had it worse than me though. Sometimes... When it came to hearing people talk about you. At least they don't hate me. They just pity me." Sasuke's voice hardened as he talked of the others, and he suddenly resented them more than ever for the pain they had caused Naruto. Annoying though his apparent personality may be, he had never done anything to any of them; the boy had done them all a great service and yet he was viewed as a monster. How could Naruto smile knowing all of this?  
  
Plastering on that smile, Naruto kept his eyes on his hands, inwardly trying to regain his composure. He couldn't open his mouth at the moment; if he did, if he tried to talk, he was going to cry. He had told himself long ago that he would not cry anymore, that he would simply have to prove himself in a way that would make people actually see HIM. Knowing that they did not see him, that they saw only the demon, helped a little. They did not hate him for who he was. Just for the seal on his stomach. He could deal with that. He could...  
  
"Does it hurt?" Sasuke asked suddenly, a look of concern on his face. Noting Naruto's confused expression, the boy clarified. "The seal on your stomach. Does it hurt?"  
  
Clenching his fists, Naruto forced himself to meet Sasuke's eyes. "Sometimes. When I think about it too much... But it doesn't hurt in my stomach. Just..." Absently he touched his hand to his chest before trailing off and leaning back on the grass to look up at the sky again. His urge to cry slowly began to subside.  
  
The silence stretched once again. Neither knew what to say, how to react to the conversation. Drowsily, Naruto closed his eyes. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, and at the moment he didn't particularly care. As emotionally difficult as the evening had been, he was glad it had happened. It felt good to talk about this. To know that someone besides Iruka-sensei could befriend and care for him with full knowledge of the truth. Perhaps Kakashi-sensei, too, cared for him, but Iruka-sensei and now Sasuke had actually shown it.  
  
The sudden small weight of a hand on his arm prompted Naruto to open his eyes and turn his head towards Sasuke. "Even though I don't have a seal the way you do... I hurt there, too. It's so easy to hide... These last few weeks haven't hurt as much." Pulling his hand away, the dark-haired boy smiled, and this time, the smile touched his eyes. "I am glad we were placed on the same team."  
  
Despite his troubled thoughts, Naruto had to return the smile. "As am I. Although I'll never admit that where anyone else can hear, bastard."  
  
"Dobe," Sasuke retorted affectionately. The name no longer stung. In fact, it felt almost good coming from Sasuke.  
  
"What are we going to do tomorrow?" The blonde asked abruptly, giving voice to a thought that had been nagging at him.  
  
"About?"  
  
"We won't be able to meet like this. And it will look kind of odd if we both disappear at the same time."  
  
"We don't have to meet up every night to be friends, you know."  
  
"I know, but... I kind of liked this. It's nice... Going home each night feeling wanted... With something to look forward to."  
  
"Nothing stops you from running off. We both know I'm the one who'd get sent to look for you," the dark-haired boy pointed out.  
  
"Kakashi-sensei will start to wonder by the second time."  
  
"He'd be the one who sends me after you. I'd be the one dragging my feet about it."  
  
"Glad to know you care," the blonde smirked.  
  
"Just throw a tantrum and storm off. Or go exploring and get lost. Just disappear somehow. I'll find you. You do it enough anyway, and Kakashi- sensei will probably want us to stick together in at least pairs outside of the village," Sasuke said decisively.  
  
"It won't work after the first or second time," Naruto insisted.  
  
"Do you have any better ideas?" Sasuke retorted.  
  
"No..." he admitted reluctantly after thinking for a moment.  
  
"Well if you think of any, let me know. Even though," Sasuke murmured thoughtfully, "I think that Kakashi-sensei might know. About us. At least that we don't hate each other as much as we seem to. He pairs us off an awful lot. It can't just be because Sakura doesn't get any work done around either of us..."  
  
"You really think so?" Naruto asked, stung. They had been very, very careful to act as though they despised one another in public.  
  
"Yeah... I do. But if he knows, he's keeping quiet."  
  
"I wonder why..."  
  
"I don't know, but I'm not going to complain."  
  
"Nor am I."  
  
As the two lapsed back into comfortable silence, Kakashi smiled and slipped off into the darkness. He was not surprised that Sasuke had noticed. Although there was certainly more to Naruto than the boy ever showed in public, Uchiha Sasuke still surpassed him in most ways. For now. As Naruto continued to find his niche, Kakashi doubted that Sasuke's absolute superiority would last.  
  
Both boys were growing rapidly in every sense, and that was encouraging. When they assigned the teams, the hokage and Iruka had hoped the two would be able to grow together, to learn from one another. Sakura's assignment to the team had been carefully thought out, but was incidental compared to the consideration that had gone into pairing Sasuke and Naruto together. Part of being a ninja was the ability to work together and to trust your teammates unconditionally. Both of the boys lacked the trust they would need in the future, and Kakashi was glad to be able to report that they were finally learning.  
  
Although neither Sasuke nor Naruto realized it, there were three other people who shared their secret. Those three would not tell, however, allowing the boys to become comfortable with one another. They would remain in the background, subtly guiding the pair and molding them into superior ninjas.  
  
Yes, Kakashi reflected, they were finally learning... And in the end, if all went well, the two of them would be a force to be reckoned with.  
  
............  
  
A/N: Phew! This chapter is done and getting posted right when I said it would! I rock so much! Well, okay, maybe I don't rock that much, but I can dream can't I? Anyway, what did you guys think? I hope you liked. Reading through this again, I know that I did! And now, on to the reviews!  
  
Riyue: I can see this being either really long or being stopped right before the Chuunin exams and continued after. I guess it'll all depend on whether I get sick of writing this one or run out of ideas. I already have some thoughts for other fanfics on this series, although none of them are as thought out as this one. So... We'll see! And I'm glad you like it, by the way =)  
  
Kami Beverly: I'd give you some free ramen if I had any, but I've actually never eaten ramen before! I'm not human, I know. And I guess that makes me a pretty piss poor college student, too *wink*. I'm glad you do like it, and I hope you keep reading long enough to find something good or bad to write either way!  
  
Silver Dragonfly: I am thinking of turning the initial meeting with Konohomaru into an independent fanfic. I think it's way too cute to be left alone, but it doesn't really have anything to do with the current story I'm writing. Ask me about that again when I've gotten further into this and maybe I'll have the time to do it then!  
  
Lana: Panther of Lightning: I'm glad you like it, and I am trying to keep up with a chapter every day or two =) It might be a bit before the next chapter though since this Monday is my one year anniversary and my boyfriend is in town. I'll get back to my chapter every 1-2 days after the twenty first, I promise.  
  
:D: Well I'm glad the fluffiness is acceptable =) I think that, to a point, it can help really flesh out the story and make it more interesting to read. And I will continue, of course!  
  
SasukeRamen: I'm working on it, I promise! And I love this friendship thing, too. I read the fanfic where they were best friends before the series ever began, and while I thought it was cute I didn't like the way it had to constantly change the series. I think this is more plausible, and that makes it more fun to write. Secrets are good writing fodder!  
  
Ayako: I kind of wish I had a real picture of that. I don't know how much you've watched the anime, but I am absolutely in love with the blue picture of Sasuke that gets shown in the third ending... Ahh! *runs off to drool over it again*  
  
Kkoganei: I will try to keep it up =)  
  
Bishiehuggler: Eh, two full days is a lot by my standards, but I also know that when I get into writing something I obsess over it to the point where I think about it day and night. That's why it seems like two days is a long time between updates for me. Being in college has nothing to do with my time management skills, actually. I just kind of find the best way to fit everything in and make sure I have priorities. Homework tends to come first, but writing, for me, is a close second =) Umm, let's see. They do like each other. I think you can kind of see it already, but again, as I am writing this they are *12 years old.* It drives me crazy the way some of the fanfics just ignore that and jump right into the steamy stuff. I think that in the very least they need a basis of friendship and a reason to have a relationship, you know? Or maybe I'm just weird =)  
  
Chibi Neck-chan3: I've read the manga through 188 so I know what you're talking about. I think that Naruto is going to save him, but I also think that Sasuke MUST have had a reason for going the way he did. What's going on right now in the manga is actually rather supporting my opinion that the two of them like each other as more than friends or teammates, too =) The first kiss in this fanfic is coming, I promise!  
  
Minna-sama no megami: Hehe, I can't wait to write in the part where Sakura figures it out. I already know when that is going to be, and I already know how it's going to happen, so at this point it's just a matter of getting there *grumbles* Silly story taking so long to write.  
  
Abtakha: As I've been saying to some of the other reviewers, it really does bother me the way that people just jump the two of them into a relationship and make it seem like it's going to be happily ever after. This series is really not like that. The stories are cute to read, but I wanted something a little bit more realistic. With all of the surprises the author of the series has thrown at us concerning the characters, I actually think that what I'm writing is fairly plausible. Prolly not the way it really happened/happens (and yes, I've kept current on anime and manga alike), but still an alternate possibility.  
  
Keitorin: I agree, this perspective definitely seems to fit them both very well. Sakura will grow up the way she does in the anime/manga. Kakashi's a funny guy no matter how you look at it. I like his character a lot =)  
  
Evafreak: Yeah, I'm a college student. It's not so bad. I actually really like the classes I am taking right now. Why am I taking French and Spanish together? Well, truth be told I am in upper division French (I've been taking it for 8 years) and in Spanish 101. French has become second nature to me, and I would like to expand my horizons further by taking on another language. I will be starting Japanese next semester, so we'll see how well my poor little brain copes with that ;) Yeah, I'm going to be getting into their trip now, so let's see how I do with that. Wish me luck, I think this is going to be a hard section to write just because there are SO MANY ways that things could happen and go.  
  
Esaure: Angst and fluff can sometimes make or break a story, in my opinion. Cuteness is always a good ingredient =) I don't think this'll be finished for a while, so never fear. Chapters will keep coming though, I promise. Well, as long as I keep getting reviews *wink*  
  
A/N: And I'm done! I'll get going on the next chapter this afternoon, but don't expect anything until Tuesday at the earliest. If I can get more up before then I will, but... Yeah =) Hope you guys all have a great weekend and such! 


	8. Journey

A/N: I haven't forgotten about you all! Bet you were worried there for a moment, right? Of course you were! *smirk* Not as many reviews this time around as I had hoped... I'm a bit disappointed *wink* Not really, but that's okay. This weekend was great. I got to spend all kinds of time with my boyfriend (who I only see once every twoish months), and even though I didn't update I have this whole chapter pretty much handwritten, as well as part of the next chapter. Actually, the only reason that it took so long to get this posted is that yesterday and today a friend of mine was very kindly spending some time with me so I didn't miss the boy too much =) So, without further ado, here goes the chapter. I may have changed the series timeline a little bit when it comes to the time it takes to travel to Tazuna's village, but I don't really think that it was defined very well here in the manga or the anime. Either way, replies are at the bottom of the story. I hope you all like.  
  
Warnings: A little bit (or maybe a lot?) of fluff in this chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.  
  
............  
  
The next morning dawned bright and sunny. A few minutes before seven, the group had assembled at their appointed meeting site, the main gate in the towering wall that protected their village. Much to the chagrin of the three children, Kakashi-sensei arrived on time for the first time since the formation of the team. After a cursory check to make sure that the trio had packed properly, Kakashi-sensei smiled and gestured towards the path. Only a few minutes after seven, they were off.  
  
The journey was a tremendous excitement for Naruto, and in the beginning he made no effort to mask his enthusiasm, bouncing and babbling even more than normal. Although he had been sent outside the walls of the village once or twice to help maintain cleanliness, he had never been farther than a few hundred meters away from the place he called home. Just like any twelve year old, he was energetically looking forward to the challenges that would surely await him during this mission.  
  
The blonde purposely overreacted every time Tazuna took a verbal jab at him, but even this did nothing to diminish his good humor. He walked several steps ahead of his group, eager to be the first to see each new sight. Every one of his senses was exercised to its fullest as the boy tried to take everything in. Eventually, he quieted down and composed himself for a long journey, but he continued to drink everything in.  
  
As they walked, the terrain began to slowly change. The dense forest which embraced and surrounded Naruto's village gradually began to thin, giving way to a sunny scattering of clearings in the trees. Every few miles a small stream or river was visible from the path. Everything seemed fresh, new, untouched. Naruto was itching to go exploring.  
  
By mid-afternoon, however, Naruto had purposely hidden his enthusiasm entirely. Cheerfulness was expected of him, but so were complaints when he experienced even the slightest physical discomfort. In this case, they had been walking for ages without stopping for more than a few moments to replenish their supplies of water. The boy's stomach was beginning to growl audibly, so Naruto chose to complain about that. "We've been walking forever. Let's stop and eat some dinner. I'm starving!" he whined, raising his voice and turning around with a scowl to face his companions.  
  
To the blonde's surprise, Kakashi-sensei agreed with only token resistance. "Let's find a good place to stop for the night and set up camp. We have a two week journey in front of us, so an extra mile or two and an inferior camping spot will hurt us more than it will help..." the silver-haired jounin trailed off as he noticed the aghast looks on two of his pupils' faces. "What?"  
  
"Two weeks?" Sakura squeaked, stopping dead in her tracks.  
  
"Just for the trip?" Naruto added in a whisper. It was all he could do to keep his eyes from darting over to meet Sasuke's. Two weeks without knowing the next time they could even smile at one another, let alone speak openly? He had anticipated their journey taking two or three days at the most! "What are we supposed to eat? You never told us this would take so long. How were we supposed to know what to pack?" was what he demanded out loud, his voice growing higher pitched with every word.  
  
Tazuna simply took a swig of his liquor as he watched the scene before him impassively. Sasuke, of course, said nothing, his face betraying none of the inner turmoil that he, too was feeling. Sakura opened her mouth to voice agreement with Naruto, but closed it again when she saw the look on her sensei's face. He was wearing what the group had long ago identified as his 'flaky smile.' He smiled that way whenever he told them something he knew they weren't going to like. Even Naruto fell silent when he saw that look.  
  
"Well," Kakashi began, "two weeks is probably a low estimate. It may be closer to three if we don't run the entire way." If anything, that smile seemed to grow even broader; the mask made it difficult to tell for sure. "We didn't pack food. We're ninjas. We can't expect what we need to always be available or handed to us. We will hunt and make use of the edible plants we find. Consider it a training exercise. I assume that you three learned about snares and about living off the land in the academy." When all three nodded mutely, the man continued, ignoring the identical scowls that graced the faces of his three charges. "Out here, we either work together as a team or we go hungry as a team. This is a C-rank mission. As I hope you will learn, even a lower ranked mission can be uncomfortable and potentially dangerous. Being a ninja embraces all of these things. There is no time or room for complaints."  
  
Silence. Even though he couldn't show it, Naruto was very, very intrigued. This almost sounded FUN! But he was supposed to be a little surprised and more than a little angry at this development. His comfort was, after all, at stake here. Immediately, he narrowed his eyes in order to hide the enthusiasm that he could not suppress. "When were you going to tell us?" he finally managed to demand, frowning and pointing an accusing finger at his sensei.  
  
"Probably when we found a good place to camp for the night," Kakashi-sensei admitted, giving them that smile again. All three students groaned.  
  
"When are we going to stop?" Naruto asked, absently rubbing his hand over his stomach. "I'm hungry." That last part was not a lie, although he could have easily kept going in silence.  
  
"When we find a good place to camp for the night, dobe," Sasuke snapped. He returned Naruto's surprised glance with a cold smirk. Shrugging it off, the blonde chose to make a show of overenthusiastically searching for the perfect campsite in lieu of offering an angry retort to Sasuke's remark. He didn't want to start a real fight, and he couldn't tell if Sasuke was actually annoyed with him or just playing his part in their dual charade. They hadn't fought much yet on this trip, after all.  
  
Despite Naruto's overt enthusiasm, it was a very subdued group that continued the journey. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts; even Naruto could not muster the energy to be as noisy as usual.  
  
Ultimately, it was Sakura who picked out the spot that Kakashi-sensei agreed upon. As Naruto loudly protested that most of his ideas would have worked better, Kakashi-sensei sighed and dropped his pack. "Naruto."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Shut up. We're right next to a river here. There will be fish to eat, and we will be able to set our snares to catch some meat for the morning. This is an ideal place."  
  
"Oh." The blonde clamped his mouth shut, dropping his pack and slumping down beside it.  
  
"All right," Kakashi-sensei continued, "let's get settled in. I'm not going to coddle you three. You'll all be doing most of the work keeping yourselves and Tazuna and I fed. Got it?" When the trio nodded, resigned, the jounin smiled. "You can help each other out, of course. Now, we have..." Squinting up at the sun, he gauged the time, "about two hours til sunset. We'd best get moving if we're going to have this place livable and a fire going before dark."  
  
With that, he issued to each a short series of tasks to accomplish which would help make their campsite more livable. Through the combined efforts of the four ninjas, the work was all but finished in under an hour. A number of snares had been set to provide fresh meat for the morrow, a respectable pile of edible greens had been gathered, a meal of fish had been caught and a cheery fire had been laid. Thanks to Sakura, the ground had been swept clean of rocks and other debris that would be uncomfortable in the night. There was very little left for the industrious ninjas to do.  
  
"Sakura, you stay here and help me cook the fish and finish tidying up," Kakashi-sensei intoned, giving what the group hoped would be his final set of instructions for the day. "Naruto, Sasuke, I want you to go collect some firewood from a bit further away. We'll use up everything around here before morning. I want you two to stick together, okay? And be back before dark. We haven't been threatened yet, but that doesn't mean I want you two running around in unfamiliar terrain in the dark." This last part was said with a meaningful look in Naruto's direction. The boy felt himself freeze. It was all he could do to keep himself from starting to shake.  
  
Sasuke smacked him on the shoulder, muttering "Come on, dobe," and effectively breaking the blonde out of his trance. Mechanically, he turned and followed Sasuke towards the nearest patch of forest. Vaguely, he was aware of catching up to the dark-haired boy and walking by his side, but all he could do was think about the sour feeling that was bubbling in the pit of his stomach.  
  
The moment they were safely out of sight and earshot of the others, they turned to face one another. Naruto was slightly mollified to see his suspicions and fear confirmed in Sasuke's dark eyes, although the taller boy was doing a much better job of hiding his emotions.  
  
"He knows," the blonde said flatly. It was not a question.  
  
"We already assumed he knew. He just confirmed it. We should be glad he's being honest with us." Sasuke's voice was calm. His eyes still betrayed his inner turmoil, but he was quickly regaining control of himself.  
  
"Who do you think he has told?" Naruto asked as he followed the example his friend was setting and bent to pick up a pair of sticks at his feet.  
  
"No one." The answer was firm, confident.  
  
"How can you be so sure?" the smaller boy demanded, narrowing his eyes at his friend.  
  
"Because it wouldn't do him any good to tell anyone." Sasuke turned his head to look at Naruto impassively before he continued. "Who else would really see what it meant that we don't really hate each other? They would assume that I've either cracked or taken pity on you. Most people wouldn't realize the truth about either of us."  
  
"We believed it about each other," Naruto countered immediately.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Sasuke stooped to add a wrist-thick branch to the pile he was already balancing. "We both knew and believed part of the truth before we ever told each other. And we were completely open with each other. Think about it, dobe."  
  
"Don't call me that," the blonde snapped automatically. After a moment's pause, he gave a rueful laugh. "At least I'm well trained. But... You don't really mean it when you call me that, do you?"  
  
"Nah..." Sasuke smiled. "Don't take back as much wood as I do, though. To them, you're still dead last."  
  
Naruto snorted. For a few minutes, they wandered the forest in silence. By an unspoken agreement, they started to walk back to camp in the lengthening shadows when Naruto came to a sudden stop. Surprised, Sasuke turned to face the smaller boy. "What's wrong?"  
  
"We're friends, right?"  
  
"I thought so." The question seemed oddly... Heart wrenching... Coming from Naruto.  
  
"I've just never had a friend before. I don't... I don't really know how to act. Or how to tell when there's a problem. Sometimes, I wonder if the me that I show you, the one that no one else really sees, is the real charade. If it's what I wish I really was so I could be more like everyone else seems to be. Maybe the loud idiot that I show everyone else is the real me. The real thing."  
  
"That's not true," Sasuke broke in crisply, wondering where this was going. He had seen Naruto without his masks before, but nothing could prepare him for this. He had never imagined that the cheerful, confident, hyperactive boy could be so unsure... So sad.  
  
Sighing softly, Naruto walked slowly to where his friend stood. "When I look at you, Sasuke... I see drive. Desire. Purpose. You have a goal in life. A reason for being. But what happens when you accomplish that goal? What then? You come home and you still have people who care enough to be sad that you were gone and happy you are back. At the end of everything, you have the ability to live a normal life. I have a dream, too, but somewhere, deep down, I know how impossible it is. I can defend myself and my dream as loudly as I want, but... It's still a dream. I can try and try, but I can't make the adults in our village acknowledge me."  
  
"Your dreams will come true. You have more going for you than I think you realize."  
  
The blonde looked up at his teammate uncertainly. "What do you see when you look at me?" He was caught off-guard by the warmth in the smile that Sasuke directed at him.  
  
"I see strength and optimism. Intelligence, even if you do hide it well. I see a spirit that has never given up, that is stronger than anyone realizes. And... I see loneliness. A scared boy who has never known a family or friends. But I've been just as scared and alone as you have. But you're not alone any more, and neither am I." He gently nudged the other boy to get him walking again. "If Kakashi-sensei knows about us, he's giving us some time alone on purpose. I think we should trust that he doesn't object to our friendship and be grateful that he is on our side," he concluded, setting his face into its typical aloof expression.  
  
"That makes sense," Naruto mumbled, lagging a few steps behind his teammate and plastering his characteristic grin on his face as they exited the forest and caught sight of their companions. He had a lot to think about after this encounter with Sasuke, and somehow, he found it hard to be upset that Kakashi-sensei knew about them. Perhaps the trip wouldn't be so long after all.  
  
............  
  
A/N: Phew. That took me a bit longer than I thought to get typed up, but it's only a day late. I have a good part of the next chapter done too, so you may even get another update tonight if you're nice! I suppose that I have a little bit of explaining to do when it comes to the timeline I intend to follow. After going through the manga and the anime again, it occurred to me that the amount of time team seven spends in Wave Country is never defined very well. We know that the location is a pretty fair distance away from hidden leaf village which is where I got my two week journey from. Since they are walking, I feel that this is entirely reasonable. In my opinion, the whole Tazuna arc probably took at least two months, probably closer to three, from beginning to end. Although there was only a week between the major fights, there was obviously a recovery period for Sasuke, and the bridge must have taken a while to build, not to mention the travel time involved. As long as Tazuna was out of the village, Gatau should not have cared what he was doing; for that reason, the initial attack against team seven will not come until next chapter, the day before they get to the village. Again, I think that the vagueness in the anime and manga can be cited to support my timeline. The growth of the team during this time also suggests that they were doing a fair amount of training while the bridge was being constructed. Of course, this is all just my speculation. You guys are free to disagree with me =) I hope to have the next chapter up by tomorrow, so stay tuned and, as always, read and review! Now, on to the replies...  
  
Anime Freak/Kichigai Ojousan: I was actually really unsure about whether this would be a good fic to start out with writing, but I love how it's turning out. I'm glad you're enjoying it!  
  
:D: I haven't really addressed Sakura's place in all of this because while I like her as a character, she just hasn't played that much of a role in the story this far. I think I'll be getting more into her character in the next few chapters though. While I think it would be funny to send her out after Naruto, I think that he won't have to find excuses to disappear anymore. Kakashi will do it for him!  
  
Escuro de la Lus: Hehe, they'll kiss when I'm good and ready to have them kiss! I'm doing my best to drag out the timeline and give them a few months together before I get into the whole mushiness part. I think that it will help support some of what I have planned for later in the story. But your kisses are coming, I swear it!!!  
  
Ayako: Yeah, I wish I could see Sasuke smile for real. He doesn't do it enough and he's sooooo cute! Their interaction is so fun to write, so you'll be seeing tons more of it =)  
  
Riyue: You're right, this part of the storyline has so many possibilities... It's incredibly fun planning out what I'm going to write here, and I haven't even gotten to the death scene yet. There's more good stuff to come!  
  
Evafreak: I'm glad you think that I rock =). I think that in a way they've already started liking each other. They are realizing things about one another that will eventually lead to something more - like how they understand each other in a way that no one else really understands them, things like that. I don't plan on involving them in anything too hard core at twelve, but I think that a kiss or two might be in order. If I can get the timing down on this, I'll have it justified that they've been teamed up for at least four or five months before the Chuunin exam ever starts, so I think that will help make everything a little more palatable. There will prolly be many more chapters just because I'm having a good time writing this. And you read right, French, Spanish and Japanese. I am a junior in college right now, and I've already studied abroad in France over the summer. I don't mind your babbling, so never fear =) Kakashi will have his big moments in this fanfic, but not yet, I'm afraid =(  
  
Ghost of Jounochi: I'm glad you likey, and I hope that you continue to enjoy the later chapters! =D  
  
Landlady of the Universe: I'm glad you like the friendship. I was hoping I wouldn't be drug out into the street and shot by people who wanted my promised SasuNaru NOW *grin* I don't know about the intelligence thing... I know he comes off as an idiot in the series, but I do think there's some truth behind what I'm saying in this fic. Maybe not as much as I'm giving him credit for here, but I do think he's smarter than we're seeing in the series too. They're gonna snog when they're good and ready (in other words, when I get to the point where I think it's appropriate). Not telling when that is though! You have to read! Bwahahah!  
  
Ishida Kat: I do support the KakaIru pairing, but I'm not going to work it into this unless it seems to fit. I haven't quite decided yet. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. Gives me more reason to write it, right? They'll kiss, I promise, and it's coming up fairly soon (but don't tell anyone!) but not quite yet... And there will be some arguments coming up too, but again, not in this chapter. Maybe the next one. I haven't quite decided yet.  
  
Beta 4 Hire: Here's your update! There's another one on the way as soon as I put some food into my stomach! Be happy!  
  
Minna-sama no megami: Hehe. I have friends who have ramen. Maybe I'll bum some off of them. And yes, you MUST watch past episode 14! You have no idea of the coolness that awaits you!  
  
Bishiehuggler: I'm glad you agree with me on the sex thing. Honestly, I haven't got as much of a problem with a few innocent kisses at twelve as I do with the rest, but even that shouldn't be rushed. Bleh. I hope that the way I write this will be okay. I'm following a timeline that should hopefully make anything that happens between them a little bit more acceptable.  
  
Japime gurl: The updates will go back to being rapid now that I am all alone again. And I'm really having a blast going through the Haku arc and figuring out how I want to do this. I hope you will like reading what I come up with as much as I like writing it =)  
  
T.K. Kaiba: There is more now!  
  
Keitorin: The other three people are Kakashi, Iruka and the Hokage. I might have been a little vague there. And mellowness is always good =)  
  
Luna Aelf Writer: I'm glad you like. It's always nice to know people are enjoying it.  
  
Sara: I'm very glad that you read mine and liked it! The updates will be coming faster now, so never fear. Isn't Naruto an awesome series? I've watched all kinds of anime, but never gotten so into it. Damn lovable characters hehe. I'll prolly be starting a few other fanfics from Naruto as well when I get more into this one, so I hope they're all as enjoyable for you as this one!  
  
Lily day: Mmm... Wayne and Garth... That's kind of funny, my boyfriend is originally from Aurora (where Wayne's World took place) and he's the reason I haven't been updating as recently. This fanfic was originally started so that I could get more into writing my own stuff, so hopefully my playing with the character and plot development will be helpful as well as interesting =)  
  
Silver Dragonfly: I actually got your review as I was getting ready to post this, so you're lucky I'm getting to it in this chapter =) I actually know what I think is going to happen with Sasuke later in the series when he runs off to Orochimaru, but for now I'll keep those suspicions to myself... Until I can write them into this story, that is! And Sakura will join them, but it will prolly be after the Haku arc. I've noticed a point in the series where the interaction between Naruto and Sakura seems to change subtlety, so I've decided that that's when it'll happen. And no, I'm not telling when! But now I'm going to post this so you can read it. 


	9. Determination

A/N: Wow. This is the second chapter I've started typing in one day. I wonder if my headache will let me finish it though =( Today's been the strangest day. My friend and I were playing DDR, but we left because a very, very scary guy was trying to show off on the machine and it was embarrassing to watch. Then, when we got back, all hell broke lose. A guy I know got a bad grade on a physics test and ended up barricading himself in the bathroom and creating a poisonous gas, so he got arrested by dps and taken to the hospital and we all got evacuated for a while. Actually, I'm more in shock that it was THIS guy who did it than anything else. But either way, I'm back in the building now and all is peaceful and good. I'll stop babbling about college drama now and get cracking on the typing. I don't know if there will be enough reviews to really justify this since I'm posting the chapters so close together, but any replies I may have will be at the end of the fic as usual =)  
  
Umm... I'm going to put this in its own little paragraph because I think it needs to be read. For those of you who don't like it when I follow the anime closely, you may want to skip this chapter. It's short, and it basically describes what happens in the fight with the chain ninjas. I thought very carefully about omitting this chapter from my fanfic, but after some consideration I decided to include it because of the added interaction between Sasuke and Naruto. This fight, short as it is, is their first real battle together, and it does have some significance, especially the part with the kunai. For that reason, this chapter is going to be very to the point. Again, you can probably skip it if you want, but I think that the thought processes of Naruto and Sasuke which I depict during the fight help add a little bit more flesh and realism to my story. Expect a slightly longer chapter tomorrow as long as I don't spend the entire night studying for my English midterm on Friday (and don't complain, you guys got two in one day!).  
  
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.  
  
............  
  
The journey took more than Kakashi-sensei's allotted two weeks to complete. By the time Tazuna announced that they were nearing their destination, even Naruto's seemingly endless cheer was approaching its limits. As a group, they were sore, sleep deprived and generally grumpy. Nothing had broken the peace during the long days of walking except for the fights that Naruto purposely picked with both Sasuke and Sakura. Their conversations, which had been frequent in the beginning of the trip, had diminished to almost nothing as the days passed. The news that they had almost reached the end of this journey was heartening, as was the hope of a real meal and a warm bath.  
  
They trudged along in silence, Naruto once again walking a few steps ahead of his companions. Idly, he noticed the puddle on the side of the road as he passed by, but it didn't really register, and he didn't think to say anything about it to his teammates. He wasn't really in the mood to bother with talking to anyone else at the moment. All it would do was start another argument...  
  
Between one moment and the next, all hell broke loose. A pair of masked ninjas appeared from nowhere, encircling Kakashi-sensei with the wickedly spiked chain which connected them at the wrists and pulling before the three young ninjas could even react-  
  
"One down," cackled one of the ninjas as the pair simultaneously yanked the chain and cruelly ripped the helpless Kakashi into pieces. To Naruto, their moves were impossibly fast. Even as Sakura reacted, screaming, to the sight of their sensei's remains falling to the ground in a bloody heap, the pair reappeared right behind Naruto. The blonde was frozen, unable to react.  
  
"Two down," the same dry, emotionless voice laughed as the duo sent their chain to embrace Naruto just as it had Kakashi. Just like Kakashi-sensei, Naruto was going to die, and all he could do was stand there, paralyzed, and watch.  
  
But - With unbelievable speed, Sasuke was there, leaping into the air with shirukin and kunai in hand. A moment later, the shirukin had trapped the chain against a nearby tree. As if by magic, the kunai blossomed in the center of the shirukin, effectively locking the whole metal flower in place. Unerringly, the black-haired boy landed on the outstretched arms of his two dumbstruck opponents, taking advantage of their shock to land a kick to each of their heads.  
  
Eyes wide, Naruto could only stare as the two attacking ninjas broke free of their hindering chain and split up, one aiming for Naruto and the other running towards Sakura and Tazuna, forcing Sasuke to decide. Sakura was weaker than Naruto physically; she would need the most help, but Naruto... Naruto would have to take care of himself! Sheer seconds before the enemy reached Sakura, Sasuke sped between them, ready to defend her as he prayed Naruto was defending himself. Naruto could do this, he COULD. He could...  
  
Sasuke never had the opportunity to finish the fight. From nowhere, Kakashi- sensei reappeared, disabling both of the attacking ninjas and swiftly taking charge of the entire situation. He threw an apology at Naruto, praised Sasuke and Sakura for their efforts and shot Tazuna an appraising look, mentioning calmly that he needed to speak with the bridge builder.  
  
Absently, still in shock, Naruto picked himself up off the ground (when had he fallen?) and shakily tried to get to his feet. All he could think about was his failure. 'I couldn't do anything... Yet Sasuke... It was his first real battle too... Wasn't he scared at all? He looks as if nothing happened. He doesn't even have a speck of dust on him!' The Uchiha boy was standing nonchalantly, staring up into space, acting as though nothing had happened and deep down, Naruto felt an almost overwhelming urge to smack the smile off of his teammate's face. The compulsion made no sense; they were friends as well as teammates, but in this moment of failure the blonde could not help but resent his friend's success. At that moment, a small thought invaded and calmed the blonde's anger. 'He saved me...'  
  
Abruptly, almost as though he were forcing himself to do so, Sasuke turned to face Naruto. "Hey."  
  
The shorter boy stiffened, his recent uncharitable thoughts towards Sasuke not quite forgotten.  
  
"You all right?" the dark-haired boy asked, a funny smile on his face. "Scaredy-cat..."  
  
It was an act. It was an act it was an act it was an act. He had to say it. They were friends. He didn't mean it. He wasn't serious. It was an act. They were friends... It didn't matter. In the aftermath of his stinging failure, the jab was too much. Naruto snapped. They were friends, but Sasuke had no right. He had no RIGHT to rub Naruto's nose in his failures. "SASUKE!" he yelled, ready to launch himself at the other boy, only to be brought up short by Kakashi-sensei.  
  
"Naruto! Their claws are soaked in poison. You must remove it quickly. We must open the wound and release the poisoned blood from your body. Don't move much. The poison will spread."  
  
Looking down at the hand he hadn't even realized was in pain, the boy ground his teeth. Now that his attention had been brought to his injury, it HURT. Holding his wrist and gazing into the swollen red lips of the wound, Naruto tuned everything out, ignoring the interaction between his sensei and the bridge-maker. For a few moments, his whole world became the pain and the pain became his whole world until he became aware of the others staring at him.  
  
"This might be too much. I guess we should return to the village to treat Naruto," Kakashi-sensei intoned, avoiding his student's questioning gaze.  
  
What little composure the boy had regained in the few minutes since his last rebuke slipped away. They were NOT going to cancel this mission on his account. Because he couldn't fight. He was not dead last. Not the way Sasuke said he was, even if the boy didn't mean it. Not the way everyone just assumed he was... He was... He was a ninja. And ninjas didn't get scared in battle.  
  
Before he knew what he was doing, he had his kunai in his uninjured hand, raising it up and slamming the sharp blade into the wound on the back of his hand. He could feel the warm drops of blood splatter away from the wound, could hear the collective gasps of his traveling companions, but he ignored the distractions, concentrating only on the pain. 'Why is there such a large difference? Why is there... I should be becoming stronger.' He never even heard Sakura talking to him as he gritted his teeth and mentally strengthened his resolve. 'I've completed many missions, and I practice jutsu every day by myself. I'm not going to need saving ever again. I'm not going to be afraid, and try to run... I won't lose to Sasuke... I swear it on this pain in my left hand.' They were still rivals despite their friendship, and that was what a rivalry WAS. He cared for Sasuke, but he was competition. He would not lose.  
  
"With this kunai, I'll protect the old man." So profound was his concentration, Naruto hadn't even realized that he spoke that last part aloud. As he turned to face his team, the bloody kunai still deeply embedded in his hand, he could not suppress his grim smile of determination. "We're continuing this mission!"  
  
"Naruto," Kakashi began, breaking the uncertain silence, "It's good to release the poison, but any more and you'll die from blood loss." It wasn't what the man wanted to say. It wasn't what any of them wanted to say, but it broke the tension.  
  
In a heartbeat, the moment was over; the serious side of Naruto was once again buried beneath uncompromising walls of plastered smiles and hyperactive cheer as the young blonde immediately overreacted, leaping around and waving his arms.  
  
Slightly apart from the noise that his blonde companion generated, Sasuke watched Kakashi-sensei treat Naruto's wound. He had reacted before he could think, leaping to his friend's rescue when it appeared that Naruto was in danger, but he wondered now if he had done the right thing. There had been true, heartfelt anger in those blue eyes before Kakashi-sensei had brought the boy up short.  
  
Maybe next time he would let Naruto handle things by himself before he jumped in. Maybe next time... They would find a way to work together. He had no desire to steal the spotlight from the blonde. Maybe next time... He did not doubt that there would be a next time. He would be doubly careful from now on. For all of them.  
  
............  
  
A/N: To the three of you who got reviews in before I posted this - Thank you for your reviews =) I know that things are going slow and predictable right now, but I promise, I PROMISE that they will pick up and get more interesting again. I'm having a conflict between wanting the timeline to flow smoothly (and be longer than I think most people assume) and wanting to move the story along. The next chapter will get into the Zabuza fight, and hopefully things will truly start moving along from there. Thank you all for reading. Look for the next update tomorrow or Friday! And, of course, give me lots of love (aka reviews!). 


	10. Introspection

A/N: Couple things to address before I start this chapter. First of all, thank you to Bisshiehuggler for pointing out my spelling error in the word shuriken. I honestly had no idea how to spell it or where to look, and none of my friends had any clue either, so I made it up and hoped that either no one would notice or that someone would correct me. So thank you =) Also, thank you to all of you for the kind reviews. If this chapter is not absurdly long by the time I'm done writing it I'll once again address reviews at the bottom. If they're not there it means I got sick of typing once the chapter was finished =)  
  
Second, I have a few more things to say about this alternate timeline. I received a comment which pointed out that Kakashi wouldn't have mentioned going back to the village if the attack had come at the end of their journey the way I said it did. Just to clear things up, the way I interpreted that (at least for this fanfic) was that Kakashi only told Naruto that they were going to go back to the village to get a reaction out of Naruto. He needed Naruto to stop flaking out and start doing his part to help with the situation, and the fastest and most effective way for him to achieve that result was to threaten Naruto with going back. As illogical as it is in this sense, it got Naruto's attention. Does that make a bit more sense now?  
  
The third and final thing I wanted to address here is that I am not sure how much longer I will be updating the way I have been in the week or two since I began writing this fanfic. Before you all get angry at me, there WILL still be updates (just maybe not as rabidly), and there are some (I think) good reasons for this.  
  
The first is that I want to spend some time watching new anime. Much as I love Naruto, I'm always happy to see some new things as well.  
  
The second is that I have several ideas for one-shot fanfics that I have been tossing about in my mind. I don't know how many of those ideas I will be able to work into this story, and I would like to give each of those their chance at life. While it may mean less frequent updates it will hopefully mean that I get a chance to play with some sappy fluffiness and some more serious things and the humorous aspect of the series. Look for those sometime in the relatively near future.  
  
Perhaps the most important reason, however, is because I have accomplished what I wanted when I initially started writing this fanfic. I am generally not a fanfiction author. I have a very creative mind, and I have quite a few unique ideas of my own. One of my dreams has always been to become a published author someday. Until now, it has been difficult for me to start and stick with a piece of writing because I begin to doubt myself halfway through. I have been very kindly pointed in the direction of fictonpress.com, and have created an account there under the same penname I use here (Ailetoile). I will hopefully be posting some of my original work there in the relatively near future. I would love to see feedback from all of you when I get to that point, which is why I am saying something here.  
  
Anyway... I'll shush up now (since I'm sure you're all irked at the exceptionally long author note). Enjoy this chapter. The next one should be up on Sunday at the latest.  
  
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.  
  
............  
  
The aftermath of that first encounter was not pretty for any of them. Kakashi wisely made the decision that, though it was not much past midday, they would stop for the night as soon as they found a suitable - and defensible - site. Tazuna tried to protest that they could at least make it to the ocean shore if they pressed on a bit longer, but Kakashi firmly objected. Looking at his team, he recognized their need to stop, and soon. Naruto was not the only child showing signs of distress after the ambush.  
  
A half hour of walking brought them to a potential spot. It was not ideal, but Kakashi immediately ordered them to stop there rather than continuing and hoping for something better to come along. The early halt allowed him to give them some time to recuperate and gather themselves before sending them about their nightly duties.  
  
The moment his mind registered that he could cease walking, Naruto made his way as far away from his teammates as possible, silently making his way along the bank of the stream they had stopped beside until he heard Kakashi- sensei call for him to stay in sight. Automatically, he stopped where he was, slumping to the ground and clutching the wrist of his injured hand. Funny, it didn't hurt as much as he thought it should. The thought did not seem to belong to him.  
  
Dully, he stared straight ahead, eyes blank. In a small corner of his consciousness, he was aware of the four members of his group keeping a discreet eye on him. He didn't care. He knew, too, that he was being unnaturally quiet. Right now, he couldn't bring himself to open his mouth, let alone unleash his typical hyperactive routine. Maybe later, but not now. Ninjas were supposed to keep their emotions hidden. Even in this, he was failing. It didn't matter. Numb.  
  
Was he really that weak? That worthless? That far behind the others? Sasuke, and even Sakura, had remained calm and level headed, doing what must be done in the heat of battle while he, Naruto, had choked. Frozen. Perhaps he had simply confirmed the suspicions that he had revealed to Sasuke not too long ago. The dark-haired boy had successfully allayed his doubts and fears then, but they came rushing back now. Had they ever really vanished? Wishful thinking. Numb.  
  
Wrapping his arms around his legs and resting his chin on his knees, the boy risked a glance back towards his companions. Kakashi-sensei was taking advantage of the respite he had granted his team, lounging against his pack with his novel. Tazuna was sitting on his discarded pack, watching the three children in his impassive way while taking the occasional drink from his bottle. Sasuke and Sakura were sitting together, slightly apart from the adults, talking quietly. Or, more likely, Sakura was talking and Sasuke was ignoring her.  
  
Sighing, the blonde once again shifted his attention inwards, resuming his unhappy train of thought. He felt empty, deflated. He KNEW he was better than this. He had sworn to himself in front of four witnesses that he would never need saving again, but the seeds of self doubt remained. How much was his word really worth? How much was HE really worth? Or was he just a burden on his team? Who was he really fooling? Certainly not his teammates. Not any more. Numb.  
  
In a few hours, he would be able to regain control over his emotions. He would slip into his comfortable roll again, hiding behind that smile just like always. This incident would be put behind him; it would be in the past but not forgotten. Never forgotten. He never forgot his failures or his shortcomings. They were stored somewhere deep inside, alongside the despair and the rejection that he experienced every single day. Alongside the understanding of what it was to be hated. Someday, perhaps, these memories would fuel his determination and earn him the recognition he so craved. Someday, perhaps, he would drown in these memories. Who ever knew that a memory could haunt so effectively? So painfully?  
  
In a few hours, he would be fine on the outside. The outside was what counted. The act. His act. No longer just his, but Sasuke's as well. His smile could be regained, his spirit renewed. In a few hours.  
  
But for now, he was crushed. Ground into dust and slipping away from his outstretched hands no matter how frantically he tried to hang on to himself. For now, he could not absorb and hide his feelings. His emotions. He did have those, although many people seemed to believe otherwise. He could not ignore the pain. And the worst part, the part that made it all hurt even more... Was the familiarity of this feeling. This helpless, desolate numbness. Hiding his feelings behind a painted smile, a pair of slitted eyes and an exceptionally loud mouth did not make them hurt any less. He was experienced, though, in reapplying that smile. In picking up the pieces. In pretending that nothing had ever happened. That he had never hurt. That he was still alive on the inside.  
  
Sometimes, he could truly forget everything, all of the bad, and focus only on the good. At those times, it really was as though he had a few sparks of real life left, hidden somewhere deep within his soul where no hatred, no failure, no despair could snuff them out. Sometimes, he almost believed it. He had believed in himself when Sasuke had said it. Sasuke...  
  
Slowly, Naruto began the excruciating process of burying his pain. Of finding his smile again. Not the real thing. The plastered smile that would never, could never touch his eyes. A real smile was rare for him, now.  
  
Stoically, he ignored the feeling of dark eyes on his back.  
  
.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*: .:~:.:*: .:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.: *:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.  
  
Sasuke was getting quite good at tuning out Sakura's mindless chatter. It was not as incessant or as meaningless as the drivel that Naruto came up with, but it was annoying nonetheless. It wasn't that he disliked the girl; he simply did not return the intimacy of her feelings. It would be cruel to encourage her if he was not interested. In only a few weeks he had grudgingly grown to care about and respect her as a teammate, maybe even as a friend, but beyond that he was wholly indifferent. Regardless, he would not respond to her efforts. He knew that if he did acknowledge her, if he gave her any sort of an opening, she would redouble her attempts to attract his attention. He would never have a moment's peace.  
  
Sakura continued to talk, but by now she was used to his silence just as he was used to her chatter. He was restless, his mind racing despite his outward calm. Finally giving in to an increasing sense of urgency, he allowed himself to discretely shift his attention to the blonde figure which sat, unmoving, on the other side of the campsite. He could not see the boy's eyes, but he had a good notion of what they looked like. Of the hurt and the despair that they contained. One thing Naruto had not yet managed to master was the ability to keep his emotions out of his eyes. The vulpine squint he often coupled with that plastered grin was all that kept his inner feelings hidden, sometimes. Naruto's eyes were a liability to him as a shinobi, but they made the boy an open book to Sasuke.  
  
Right now, Naruto was shaken and very, very hurt. That much was obvious from the very way he sat, the small, defeated set of his shoulders. Almost as though he was trying to shrink in on himself. The fight had been bad enough for the boy. Sasuke knew that Naruto now considered himself not only a liability, but also a failure after that fight. The ill-considered taunt that Sasuke had thrown in at the end had been absolutely heartless, even coming from him. Especially coming from him. He had essentially kicked his friend when he was down, and though he had regretted his words the moment they left his mouth, he couldn't take them back. The damage was done.  
  
After seeing the effect of those few words, so easily spoken... After seeing the warring hurt and fury in those brilliant eyes, Sasuke had wanted to crawl into a hole and die. But he couldn't take them back. Not without ruining everything for both of them. He didn't know the extent of Kakashi- sensei's knowledge or suspicions about all that had transpired between Sasuke and Naruto, but he was confident that Sakura remained clueless. Someday, she, too, would be let in on their secret, but not yet. Not now. They both had too much at stake.  
  
Briefly, he contemplated going to talk to Naruto, to comfort the blonde and to apologize. Almost immediately, he rejected the thought. For one, he did not feel that his clumsy attempts at reconciliation would be accepted right now. They might make things worse. And, damn circumstance to hell, such a move would be blast both of their secrets into the open. It was a measure of Sasuke's distress to know that he would have accepted those consequences if he thought that an apology would help. It wouldn't.  
  
There was no way around it: Naruto would have to become more thick-skinned when it came to their friendship. Sasuke didn't mean the insults that he flung at his teammate any more than Naruto meant his heated responses. Perhaps it was some forgotten vestige of his naïve childhood, but Sasuke doubted that either of them could ever hurt one another intentionally. They were too similar, and they needed each others' trust and friendship too much to break the tenuous bond they had forged despite all odds. Funny... Him admitting that he needed another person. But whether Sasuke liked it or not, it was the plain and simple truth.  
  
At some unknown point over the years, Sasuke had become incredibly fond of Naruto and extremely protective of him although he would never show it. Their young friendship had strengthened and reinforced those feelings exponentially. When he was around the loud boy, it seemed as though everything made sense, as if all they had both been subjected to was justified. He felt safer, somehow. Not so alone. Not so misunderstood. Complete.  
  
Just as Sasuke knew that Naruto had taken a leap of faith in trusting him, so had Sasuke taken a huge chance in trusting Naruto. In letting the blonde see what lay beneath the walls and defenses he had adopted.  
  
Since his parents' murder, Sasuke had been a changed person. It was very understandable. He had been robbed of his innocence and his childhood in one heart-stopping moment. After that, after the nightmarish scene he had witnessed, nothing could ever be the same. Sasuke had been much, much too young when he learned just how long one moment could last. Forever. In one moment, he had lost everything. The brother he had depended on had turned on him. His mom and dad had been stolen. In one moment, his ability to trust had been forever crushed, shattered. In one moment he had been forced to abandon his childhood and teach himself how to live the life of an adult. One moment had set the foundation of an emotional wall that quickly encircled his heart and closed him off from the rest of the world. Alone. Always alone. He could never allow himself to care again.  
  
This is what he had grown up thinking. He would take revenge for his parents' deaths. He would kill his brother. He was an avenger. He had no room in his heart for anything else. No room for emotions. No room for loneliness. No room for hurt. For pain. For love. Emptiness was his friend. Emptiness and a grim determination that would carry him through anything so that he could reach his final goal. His destiny. Revenge.  
  
Despite his best efforts, however, the changes that Naruto had wrought in the very core of Sasuke's being were beginning to show. Without trying, without knowing what he was doing, the blonde boy was accomplishing the impossible. One despised and feared boy was reintroducing something suspiciously akin to friendship and trust to a lonely heart. Together, with their defenses lowered, they were no longer a pair of scarred and scared boys. They were just... Twelve year olds... For a few hours at a time. A few hours of blissful childhood.  
  
He would not accept or acknowledge this stirring of emotion from anyone, FOR anyone... Except Naruto. With Naruto, there was only pure, unadulterated innocence and honesty. No walls, no masks; at least, none that Sasuke could not see through. None that Naruto would hide from him. It hurt; sometimes the pain of letting himself open up after all these years was unbelievable, but it was the pain of a gaping wound finally beginning to heal. A good pain. Who would have ever thought such a thing could exist?  
  
Sasuke did not notice when Sakura finally got the hint that he was not listening and left. He ignored the passage of time, simply allowing his mind to wander as he sat. Perhaps if he did not think, he would not have to remember the hurt and the anger in Naruto's eyes. Perhaps he would not have to see the defeated ball his friend had curled himself into. Perhaps he would be released from the guilt that gripped his heart and his stomach.  
  
Funny. Even his undirected thoughts always drifted back to the loud blonde.  
  
.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*: .:~:.:*: .:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.:~:.: *:.:~:.:*:.:~:.:*:.  
  
To the untrained eye, Kakashi's attention seemed to be wholly monopolized by his book. By now, however, the children of team seven knew otherwise. When the man sensed Sakura making her way towards him, the book vanished immediately.  
  
"How are you feeling?" he inquired, a note of concern in his voice.  
  
"I'm doing okay," she answered, taking a seat between her sensei and Tazuna. Both men looked at her strangely. "Well, better than the other two," she amended, looking down at her hands.  
  
"It is never easy to recover after an ambush," Kakashi said softly, his one eye trained on his student. "We are lucky that Naruto's hand was the extent of the injuries. It could have been a lot worse if you and Sasuke had not reacted the way you two did."  
  
"They're... Going to be okay, right?" Sakura asked hesitantly, glancing from Sasuke to Naruto and back to Kakashi.  
  
"Yes. They're both strong, just a little shaken," the older man assured her, giving her a smile that crinkled his visible eye.  
  
Kakashi would never tell Sakura how worried he actually was about the two boys. He had expected reactions of shock from all three of his charges, but nothing of this magnitude. Especially not from Sasuke.  
  
The Uchiha boy had absolutely shone today whereas Naruto had clammed up... But that was to be expected. That was the difference between the two boys. Then again... Although they did not know it, the pair had surprised him more than a few times in the short time he had been their mentor. They were growing in ways that no one had ever dreamed, in ways that neither Kakashi nor Iruka nor even the third hokage had dared hope. But rapid physical growth could not rescue either of them from the emotional wounds they had each sustained over the years. They would have to recover those on their own. He had no doubt that they would help each other through it.  
  
Well. He couldn't let them all sit there and wallow in self pity and doubt forever. He had given them a reasonable amount of time to pull themselves together and he would go easy on them when it came to chores tonight, but they had to get SOME work done before dark. Now was as good a time as any to rouse Naruto and Sasuke and put them to work. Hopefully, a little bit of physical exertion would help restore a sense of reality to them.  
  
Purposefully, he stood and belted out a list of orders for Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura to follow. As the trio complied, Kakashi noticed the way Naruto avoided Sasuke's eyes. The way Sasuke stiffened ever so slightly every time he looked at Naruto. Thoughtfully, the man decided to assign them watch duty as a pair tonight. They needed to talk things out, but the jounin could not justify sending them away, even together, knowing that another attack might come at any moment.  
  
He was slightly gratified to see the looks of mixed relief and apprehension wash across both of their faces when he informed them of his decision. This was something they definitely needed to talk out between themselves.  
  
............  
  
A/N: Yeah... So this chapter majorly got away from me. I had never intended to make it this long, and I actually wanted to get to the Zabuza fight, but... Ah well. I hope you're not all too disappointed. Since it's midnight, I don't want to continue writing this chapter and sacrifice the quality, so I'll post this now and write the fireside talk along with the Zabuza fight in the next chapter. I'm sorry to anyone who had their hopes set on the fight in this chapter =(  
  
Also, given the hour, I am going to reply to most reviews in the next chapter, if I do it at all. I'm sorry... I love you all for reviewing, but it takes like a half hour to respond to all of them, and I just don't have that kind of time right now =) Don't hate me too much, please?  
  
I will hopefully post more tomorrow =) 


	11. Promise

A/N: Again, I'm sorry for the abrupt ending of the last chapter. Let's see if I can make up for it in this chapter. I would just like to share that I am starting Japanese next semester and that I just bought the first six volumes of Naruto manga in Japanese (and I have friends who will make sure I have help translating it too) for under $40. Oh God I'm so excited. I want my manga now! *goes off to stalk her mailbox even though the order hasn't even been shipped yet*  
  
Ehehe. Besides that, I don't really have much else to say besides that once again I got sidetracked while writing this, not to mention battling with a major case of writer's block. Therefore, I apologize for any poor quality in here as well as the delay in posting. Anyway, on with the chappie. *cracks knuckles*  
  
Disclaimer: As I'm sure you could have all guessed, Naruto's not mine, nor are any of the characters found therein.  
  
............  
  
The remainder of the day passed in a hazy blur for Naruto. He followed Kakashi's instructions willingly enough, even mustering a few of his fox- grins as the afternoon wore on, but he said little and avoided everyone's eyes. Even Sasuke's. Especially Sasuke's. In truth, Naruto awaited the coming night with more than a little trepidation. He was not sure that he was ready to face Sasuke alone so soon, but then again... Ninjas did not run from or avoid difficulty. They embraced trials and hardships knowing that only by challenging themselves in everything could they become stronger. He would not run from Sasuke just as he would not lose to him. They would be equals, somehow.  
  
Afternoon slowly gave way to evening. Kakashi-sensei seemed to be running low on tasks for team seven to accomplish, much to Naruto's relief. He didn't mind hard work, but he was painfully aware of the concerned looks the others were giving him when they thought he wouldn't notice. Of the strained smiles they mustered when he did meet their eyes. True, he had regained the doubtful protection of his grin, but he knew that Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei saw through him. The other two probably did as well. He wanted to leave, to be alone for a few hours. It was an impossible wish, this night of all nights.  
  
Instead, he did the next best thing that he could think of: practically inhaling his portion of the cooked fish they ate for dinner and almost immediately composing himself for sleep. "We'll take the late watch," he belatedly assured his sensei, ignoring the surprised stares he received from the four members of his group.  
  
Yawning, he curled up beneath his small blanket. Despite the relatively early hour, he really was ready for bed. Although the day had not been a physically demanding one compared to the two weeks of walking they had just suffered through, it had definitely taken its emotional toll on him, and sleep claimed him swiftly. The last thing he remembered before drifting off entirely was being vaguely aware of someone - probably Sasuke - settling into a blanket beside him.  
  
During the night, his dreams were unusually troubled. He found himself walking beside the puddle just as he had earlier. In his dream, however, he stopped, staring into the depths of the water as the rest of his group continued on. Fascinated, he watched as the enemy slipped out of the concealing puddle before it occurred to him to warn his team. No sound came out of his open mouth as the attacking ninjas sped towards Kakashi-sensei, and Naruto once again froze. His foot moved without his consent then, and he found himself running to escape from the enemy. Running to flee from his failure. Abandoning his comrades. No. Turning and ignoring the stabbing pain in his hand, he steeled himself to face his enemy. He would not run any more. He would not lose. Not now, not ever. To his surprise, the deadly chain was nowhere to be seen. Instead, as he whirled around to look behind him, he nearly tripped over Sasuke. The dark-haired boy was standing close, very close, a warm smile brightening his face. A few yards behind him, Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei stood together while a badly blurred fox laughed in the background. Sasuke's smile never faltered as all three of them slowly began to fade to nothing and -  
  
- Groggily, the boy slapped at whoever was shaking him. How was he supposed to sleep if people wouldn't leave him alone?  
  
"Naruto." In an effort to ignore the voice and discourage the shaking, the blonde grunted and rolled away from the hand, tangling himself in his blanket. "Naruto, get up. We are on watch now," the voice persisted. Maybe if he ignored Sasuke - for that was who he had deduced the voice belonged to - he would go away...  
  
He gave a gasp of surprise as he felt himself being lifted quite unceremoniously off the ground, blanket and all. With a small squeak of fear, he began to struggle. "Naruto, get up now or so help me I'll dump you in the water," Sasuke threatened, walking a few steps in the direction that Naruto could only assume was towards the river.  
  
Well. When he put it that way... "I'm up, I'm up!" the blonde muttered, yelping indignantly when Sasuke continued walking towards the water. "Put me down!" he commanded, thrashing about even harder.  
  
"I should throw you in anyway. It would serve you right for overreacting the way you did earlier," the dark-haired boy murmured in his friend's ear.  
  
"You didn't help anything with your name-calling," Naruto growled, redoubling his struggle against the taller boy's arms.  
  
"I wanted to apologize earlier," Sasuke informed him, finally relinquishing his hold on Naruto and placing him carefully on the ground. "There was no good time before now. I am sorry though."  
  
The change in Naruto's demeanor was immediate. Applying a good deal more attention than necessary to extracting himself from his blankets, the shorter boy kept his head down, avoiding his friend's eyes. "It's fine," he said at last, still refusing to look up. "I deserved it for freezing up. You had to say it. I understand." Privately, he congratulated himself on keeping the hurt out of his voice.  
  
With the same unsettling speed he had demonstrated during the fight, Sasuke was kneeling in front of the despondent blonde, one hand beneath Naruto's chin, forcing the boy to meet his gaze. Surprised blue eyes met solemn black ones and for a few moments they stared at each other, each unable to look away.  
  
Finally, Sasuke slowly dropped his hand, still holding Naruto's eyes with his. "I... Really am sorry," he said quietly.  
  
This time, Naruto did not immediately look away. "It's not your fault, Sasuke. It was mine."  
  
"I didn't have to call you names, though."  
  
"At least I deserved this one," the blonde sighed, clenching his fists and dropping his head once more. Before he could complete the motion, Sasuke's hand was there, forcing the smaller boy to maintain the eye contact. This time, he brought up his other hand to gently cup his friend's face as well. He could feel his friend trembling.  
  
"You didn't deserve it, Naruto. Anyone could have choked in that situation. Especially as a first real fight." Sasuke spoke quietly both out of consideration for their sleeping companions and out of concern for the shaking boy before him.  
  
"Then why did it have to be me? Why not Sakura-chan, or even you? Why only me?" he could not keep the despair and bitterness out of his voice, and for the first time he struggled against Sasuke's touch, jerking backwards. "Why am I always the one left behind? Always!"  
  
"You're not being left behind. Just wait. You will have the chance to prove yourself to everyone. We can't expect this to be the only attack." Fleetingly, Sasuke wondered how the boy could be so sure of himself during the day and be so vulnerable at night. How had he handled being alone for his entire life? How often had he felt like this with no one to comfort him...? Sasuke knew the pain of loneliness all too well, but this was beyond even his experience.  
  
"I know," Naruto replied in a small voice, "but why does it have to hurt so much?" Sasuke was startled to see tears shimmering in the blue eyes that sparkled in the moonlight as they regarded him.  
  
Without pausing to think, he reached out and took one of Naruto's hands with his, tentatively pulling the smaller boy towards him and smiling ever so slightly as the blonde obediently allowed himself to be tugged forward. They were so different and yet so similar... He could feel the perpetual warmth that Naruto radiated flowing into their connected hands, infusing his body. A change was rippling through those brilliant eyes as Sasuke urged them closer, the sadness melting away and being replaced by - by what?  
  
Abruptly, Sasuke looked away, trying to pull his hand back as a wave of conflicting emotions threatened to sweep him away. Only Naruto... Only he could generate this confusion. This... Why was he still looking at Naruto? Peripherally, he became aware of soft fingers gently forcing his chin up just as he had done for the other boy. And now he was the one being pulled forward until he was so close to Naruto that he could drown in those eyes. So close that he could feel the blonde's breath on his face...  
  
The moment was over almost as quickly as it began. A clumsy brush of lips, a bump of noses, and then Sasuke was wrenching himself away, trying to reclaim himself. Stumbling backwards in his haste to get away, he found himself on his backside, supporting himself with shaking hands whose fingers were digging into the grass. The full impact of what had just transpired was beginning to dawn upon him.  
  
What had they just been doing? What had they just DONE? Bewildered, Sasuke brought up one hand to touch his lips. They had just kissed... Again, he amended with a rueful mental laugh. And this time it had been intentional and even consensual. But... It wasn't like he thought it would be. It wasn't a romantic I-love-you kiss, nor was it a sensual or lust-driven kiss. No. It was a moment of reconciliation between two friends. A moment of mutual trust and understanding which transcended the boundaries of words. He wasn't in love with Naruto, or with anyone for that matter, but he did feel a very strong bond with his friend. Perhaps someday that was destined to develop into something more than friendship, but not now. Not tonight. Still... It had felt surprisingly good. Surprisingly right.  
  
Indeed, whatever had taken place tonight was not what it appeared to be on the surface, nor was it a bad twist in events. It just... Was. It was a silent promise to one another. A promise of friendship and of mutual care and concern. A promise that warded against the premise of future loneliness. A promise that, come what may, they would still have this night, this moment of safety and contentment to reflect on. They would still have one another. Sasuke could accept that.  
  
From the blonde's bemused expression, a similar realization had occurred to him, too. Their eyes met, and Naruto smiled. Not that squinty fox-smile with which everyone who knew Naruto was familiar, but a slow smile that warmed his entire face. Sasuke could not help but smile back. The walls that he had built and hidden behind for all these years had been breeched. They were crumbling, and he had no desire to rebuild them. Perhaps true strength did not lie in hatred and isolation as Itatchi would have had him believe. Even thoughts of his older brother did not seem as painful tonight..... He was destined to kill that man, to avenge the rest of his family, but tonight the burning need for vengeance seemed diminished. Tonight, he was deliciously free. Tonight, with the stars, the moon and a small slice of sunshine as his witness, he had broken free of the shackles of hatred.  
  
The rest of the night passed uneventfully. Very little was spoken; words would only diminish the calm peace that had settled between them. Both knew that morning would come all too soon, bringing with it the trials of a new day. Despite all that had happened during the night, they must still perform their well-worn charade for the benefit of others. They must still act as though nothing had changed. Naruto must continue to smile as if nothing could ever bring him down while Sasuke must maintain his impenetrable calm.  
  
Come what may, though... They were together. And they always shared this memory. This promise.  
  
............  
  
A/N: That chapter... Was amazingly hard to write.  
  
Umm... What else? I have a small songfic started that I lost the rhythm of in the middle. I'll finish it the next time I am in the proper mood. I'm starting to teach myself written Japanese now, so that may take up some time... Part of what takes so long getting each chapter up is that I handwrite everything before it's ever typed and then proofread and tweak for like three hours at a time. I don't like posting things that aren't as perfect as I can make them.  
  
Bleh. I don't know what else to say. I'm really not in the mood to reply to reviews right now. Thank you all so much for your input. It really has been taken to heart (or just awed and smiled at in some cases =D ). I suppose that at this point your reviews (or lack thereof?) will determine whether I continue with the story or start a new one. Maybe I'll just do both if people seem to like this. So... Have at it?  
  
I know that a lot of you read this in the author's note that I once had posted as chapter 12 of this fic, but ff.net doesn't seem to like chapters that are author's notes, so I'll tack it on to the end of this chapter. For those of you who have read my author's note, this is (pretty much word for word) the same thing. I am sorry that this got bumped up to the top of the list again, but blame ff.net:  
  
All right. I've made my decision, and I'm fairly happy with it. I'm going to offer you all a compromise.  
  
This fic is, for all intents and purposes, done. I began it to show a side of Naruto that was never given any consideration, and I have accomplished that. At THIS POINT in the series, there really is nowhere else to go with my storyline. I have been trying to add to the timeline, but I feel that if I continue this any further I will simply begin detracting from the quality of the work. It will make it less believable.  
  
Now, before anyone who actually liked this story decides to kill me, here is what I have decided to do:  
  
This fanfiction is finished, but there is still much, much more I would like to do with this characterization of Naruto and Sasuke. Therefore, I will be writing at least four sequels. Yes, that's right, at LEAST four sequels. In other words, I've just completed the first part in what I suppose is going to become a series (until I get bored or sidetracked or until you all boo me off the proverbial stage, whichever comes first). I'm going to outline them in here, but like it or not these are the four definite ones you are getting. I'm open to other possibilities, too...  
  
The first is already written. It is called Bridging the Gap, and it is available through my profile. It is a one shot concerning the aftermath of the Zabuza arc. I find it unnecessary to write out the entire thing; a one shot should do the trick quite nicely.  
  
The second will take place in the month between the second and third parts of the Chuunin exam. This may or may not be a one shot fic.  
  
The third is going to touch on the Itatchi encounter, but will focus more on the events leading up to and following Sasuke's departure. This will almost certainly have multiple chapters.  
  
The final fic I have planned in this series will take place at least ten years in the future. This will probably be the longest of the five, but will very likely not be written until I have seen the outcome of the latest arc concerning Sasuke.  
  
So there you have it. Underestimation is officially finished, but you guys should hopefully have quite a bit of writing to look forward to. I will consider reasonable suggestions of other points which are deserving of "checking in" on the characters, but I feel that in the long run this will keep the story interesting and allow me to play with the character growth at a much more reasonable pace. Underestimation set the foundation for an awful lot of development, but that development had no place in the fic. I hope you all understand.  
  
I've also been working on quite a few one-shot fics. I have at least four more in the works (read: partially written), and there are several others that I simply have not gotten around to starting, so be sure to look for those, too!  
  
There's really not much else to say. If anyone wants to talk to me, all my contact info is in my profile. So, until the next part in this series... Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoyed =) 


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